Ranavalona I
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Ranavalona I (c. 1782-1861), Queen of Merina, was born Rabodoandrianampoinimerina (Ramavo). After succeeding her husband, Radama I, and becoming Queen, she was also known as Ranavalo-Manjka I. Over the course of her bloody reign, and after it, she was referred to as the Modern Messalina, the Bloody Mary of Madagascar, and Wicked Queen Ranavalona.
History
Early life
Rabodoandrianampoinimerina was born into the Menabe tribe somewhere between 1782 and 1790. Little is known of Ranavalona's early life, but it was during her first years that the King Andrianampoinimerina was attempting to unite Madagascar's various factions under a single crown. The king of the Menabe ruled the western portion of the island, and he was unwilling to unify. Because of this, Andrianampoinimerina's successor, Ramada I, did the next best thing by marrying the eldest daughter of Andrian-Tsala-Manjaka and his wife Rabodo Andrian-Tampo. During the early years of the union, little is mentioned of her, but a physical description follows.
She might have been anywhere between forty and fifty, rather round-faced, with a small straight nose, a fine brow, and a short, broad-lipped; her skin was jet black and plump – and then you met her eyes, and in a sudden chill rush of fear realized that all you had heard was true, and the horrors you'd seen needed no further explanation. They were small and bright and evil as a snake's, unblinking, with a depth of cruelty and malice that was terrifying.— George MacDonald Fraser
She was married to Radama when she was almost a child, and was suspected of poisoning her husband. Radama left no descendants when he died and Ranavalona took the throne in 1828 after eliminating any potential rivals. After becoming Queen, Ranavalona had most of her relatives assassinated. She persecuted and expelled foreigners, including the island's missionaries, in 1835, and extended her rule all over the island with her 20,000-man army. She also had her lover Rainitaiarivoy named Prime Minister.
Queen Ranavalona died hated by her subjects and foreign countries alike. She was mother of King Radama II, who succeeded her.