Ranavalona I: Madagascar's queen – tyrant or defender of sovereignty?
European accounts labelled Madagascar's Queen Ranavalona I "Caligula in a skirt," but historians increasingly challenge this narrative. She ruled for 33 years (1828–1861) and died in her own bed — facts that sit uneasily with the image of a mad despot. Her harsh policies are increasingly interpreted as a response to French and British colonial pressure.
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