page_title: Andriamasinavalona
section_title: Death and legacy
hierarchical_section_title: Andriamasinavalona / Death and legacy
caption_attribution_description: English: Interior of Reconstructed Mahitsielafanjaka palace at Rova of Antananarivo Madagascar
context_page_description: King Andriamasinavalona, also known as Andrianjakanavalondambo, was a King of Imerina in the central highlands of Madagascar. He made significant and enduring contributions to the social, political and economic life of Imerina. Chief among these was the expansion of his territories and the pacification and unification of certain principalities that had become locked in violent conflict; Andriamasinavalona established and ruled over the largest extent of the Kingdom of Imerina. He gave the name of Antananarivo to the capital city that was rapidly expanding around the royal palace on the hill of Analamanga, created a large public square at Andohalo outside the gates of the city, and named a series of other locations within the city. He also took possession of a distant hill he renamed Ambohimanga as a lodging for his son Andriantsimitoviaminiandriana; the royal city that developed there has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  The innovations of Andriamasinavalona were numerous and enduring.
context_section_description: Andriamasinavalona died in 1710 when one of his wives, Rasolomananambonitany, inadvertently pushed him from the elevated bed where they slept. He was buried in the royal tombs located at the Rova of Antananarivo. In opposition to Andriamasinavalona's intentions, after the king's death his sons forsook the concept of unity and instead fought one another in an effort to expand their realms. As a consequence of this decision, Imerina fragmented and was wracked with conflict for 77 years, until the kingdom was once again united during the reign of Andrianampoinimerina (1787–1810).
  The reign of Andriamasinavalona is remembered in Madagascar as a golden age of prosperity, justice, abundance and harmony. He is described in oral histories as a talented politician and kind and just ruler. His name is often traditionally invoked in Imerina when paying tribute to the ancestors or making a binding pledge. Regarding Andriamasinavalona's legacy, Ellis (1832) remarked, "The character of this chieftain is held in the highest veneration and esteem. He is said to have exercised great care over his district, and to have introduced many important improvements. His memory, laws and customs are still held in the greatest respect, and his name is always mentioned in the public kabarys with a degree of reverence."
caption: Andriamasinavalona died falling from his elevated bed (right).
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