Noun
Merina (plural Merinas or Merina)
A member of the a highlander Malagasy ethnic group in Madagascar whose core territory corresponds to the former Antananarivo Province in the centre of the island.
Antananarivo was founded from about 1610 to 1625, when the Merina king Andrianjaka (1612–1630) expelled the Vazimba inhabitants of the village of Analamanga at the highest meeting point of two forested ridges rising above the surrounding highland plains. Source: Internet
Andrianjaka (approximately 1612–1630), king of the Merina people who migrated to the region from the southeast coast, seized the location as the site of his capital city. Source: Internet
Barendse (2002), pp. 259–274 By the early 19th century, the Merina sovereigns of the Kingdom of Madagascar had brought much of the island under their control by mobilizing an army of trained and armed soldiers numbering as high as 30,000. Source: Internet
Even prior to their eventual domination and unification of the entire island, the political and cultural activities of Merina royalty were to leave an indelible mark on contemporary Malagasy identity. Source: Internet
Freeman & Johns (1840), p. 25 French attacks on coastal towns in the later part of the century prompted then-Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony to solicit British assistance to provide training to the Merina monarchy's army. Source: Internet
Early Merina kings used fanampoana (statute labor) to construct a massive system of irrigated paddy fields and dikes around the city to provide adequate rice for the growing population. Source: Internet