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The Palace of Rainilaiarivony
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Following their survival of the failed coup of 1868, Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony and Queen Ranavalona II set about implementing a new reformist agenda. Among these reforms included the creation of the country's first fully independent school, which educated Malagasy army officers on governmental administration. The school enabled the creation of a new bureaucratic class of officers, who replaced the old system of provincial government.
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| The Royal Chapel at the Rova of Antananarivo |
Meanwhile, queen Ranavalona II radically transformed the country's religious system by converting to Christianity and burning the country's sacred sampy. To reduce Christianity's potential to act as a disruptive force, Ranavalona sought to create an independent Christian church under the control of the Malagasy government rather than the influence of foreign clergy.
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| To relieve his country from the currency crisis of 1879, Rainilaiarivony attempted to import large quantities of Indian rupees |
Among these changes, Madagascar experienced a decade of non-stop economic growth and relative social stability. However, a disruptive smallpox epidemic on the east coast of Madagascar caused ripple effects in the Malagasy economy, ultimately leading to a severe currency shortage and economic recession.
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