Menalamba rebellion

That August, the French declared Madagascar to be their colony and exiled Malagasy Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony to Algiers (in Algeria) where he died the following year.

The rebellion did not seek to restore the authority of the queen, as the conversion of the leading members of the royal family was regarded by the rebels as the cause of cosmic chaos.

[8] Another was the rejection of corvee labour (fanompoana), on which had become increasingly common in the Malagasy political order and which the church promoted and relied on.

[8] Lacking central coordination, as the revolt developed it encompassed both religious traditionalists and popular Christian preachers, and although it rejected the corrupt old political order, it maintained links with the palace.

[11] Members of Ranavalona's court were accused of encouraging the rebels and on October 15, 1896, General Joseph Gallieni executed the queen's uncle Ratsimamanga (brother of her favored adviser, Ramisindrazana) and her Minister of War, Rainandriamampandry.

[11] The rebels were able to impose a blockade on Antananarivo in July, August and September 1896, and in the latter month, a state of siege was declared in the capital.

[3] The rebellion destroyed hundreds of churches and killed an unknown number of Malagasy religious figures as well as five foreign missionaries.