king central highlands region madagascar generally considered historians founder royal line 19th century extended rule virtually madagascar son mother man newly arrived people originating southeast madagascar ultimately led series military campaigns beginning decade process drive highlands conflict defined reign produced lasting innovations including development fortified villages highlands use iron weapons oral tradition furthermore credits establishing ruling class nobles defining rules succession numerous cultural traditions including ritual wedding custom art likewise associated king early life oldest son reigning queen alternately given oral histories husband origins people time marriage minority clan recently moved dominated highlands ancestral homeland southeast marriage produced sons younger brother sister named bid counteract kingdom decided historically ruled queens inherit crown mother death succeeded child younger brother system succession ordered queens followed time called organized government applied families instance elder child younger parents designate elder child assume authority family death authority handed designated younger child event death elder child queen gave village rule territory lived given village reign distinguishing features reign expansion territory sacred hill military campaign push legendary primitive settlers madagascar west island successfully expanded kingdom include south north continued presence stronghold located halves realm effectively separating posed great threat unity kingdom allow situation stand resolved capture drive territory ambition partially realized reign popular legend attributes military successes innovations including discovery iron propagation iron tipped spear fought weapons clay fortified capital creating dry defensive trenches town gates protected large rolled stone disc acting barrier rendering town resistant attacks attempt establish dominance central highlands thwarted proved unable seize stronghold fall conquered grandson warfare strategy sought expand territory control years reign death younger brother married maternal cousin named green forest princess father king capital village named mother described legends water goddess union ensured master lands death wife father took marriage known queen birth couple seventh final son children survive adulthood earlier ended death child infancy typically portrayed king contrast primitive waged war oral history credits discovering diverse arts addition iron working introduced knowledge construction use highlands transform lowland swamps rice construction valleys rite described great detail continued practiced monarchy end 19th century precisely way established generations elements rituals continue form traditions families 21st century innovations attributed personal invention origins traced southeastern island left migrated central highlands instance introduced early island way trade contacts coastal communities arab similarly archaeological evidence proves existence iron madagascar centuries prior war suggesting technology discovered reign wide scale use military campaigns rules succession jointly decreed system social order designated heir younger sibling succeed decree proved challenging instance application according oral tradition designation elder son successor younger son initially claimed accept decree soon began building new village named village god copied system fortifications introduced older brother reportedly constructing faster word spread wished undermine older brother rule learning consequent wrath promptly abandoned village god sought permission brother build village called village submission according version oral history attempted construct defensive trench provocative behavior murdered group possibly command consumed remorse king sought situation arranging marriage brother orphaned son sister orphan aunt declared child union female son male successor girl born promised future wife stipulation child born union rule way established tradition succession indirectly respected queens decree ensuring child brother line rule decree son second wife passed line succession favor son reportedly formally establish nobles laying foundation structured society point forward term refer non noble free people society later renamed son marriage tradition practiced day highlands said originated according oral history sovereign successfully contracted marriage sole daughter sent variety gifts including meat sheep believed portion value placed cut meat reaffirmed discovering edibility meat declared slaughtered kingdom royal time forward marriage tradition groom offer bride family time customary offerings meat increasingly replaced symbolic sums money gifts death succession ruled death advanced age succeeded surviving son buried ditch according oral tradition placement tomb south east royal compound north customary intended symbolically indicate man mixed ethnic background similar tomb north compound mother tombs considered oldest known royal style tombs
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