An Economic History of Imperial Madagascar, 1750-1895: The Rise and Fall of an Island Empire

This comprehensive economic history of pre-colonial Madagascar examines the island's role in the burgeoning international economy and the rise of modern European imperialism. It reveals that the Merina of the Central Highlands attempted to found an island empire and, through the exploitation of its human and natural resources, develop the economic and military might to challenge British and French pretensions in the region. Ultimately, their failure (due to imperial forced labor policies and natural disasters) caused the nefarious consequences, attributed to external capitalist and French colonial policies.

Author: Gwyn Campbell
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 11/01/2004
Pages: 434
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.40lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.10w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9780521839358

About the Author
Campbell, Gwyn: - Gwyn Campbell is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Applied Languages and International Trade at the University of Avignon. He is the editor of Southern Africa and Regional Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Regions (2003) and The Structure of Slavery in Indian Ocean Africa and Asia (2003). He is the author of numerous articles, in such scholarly journals as the Journal of African History and the International Journal of African Historical Studies.