Introduction

Madagascar is a large island in the Indian Ocean, which was inhabited successively by peoples of Indonesian, African, Arab and Indian origins. Gradually, less various ethnic groups were organised in kingdoms before being subjected to the Merina hegemony.

This island is famous for its civilisation based on flooded field rice growing, a refined craft industry, a clan-based social organisation and ancestor worship

What is in this block?

There are 3 sections in this block:

Section 1: Malagasy people 

Section 2: Great kingdoms 

Section 3: Malagasy civilisation 

Estimated study time

We think that you will need 7 or 8 hours to achieve all the activities proposed to you in this block.

Learning objectives

By the end of this block, you should be able to:

• explain how Madagascar was populated;
• analyse the functioning system of the great Malagasy kingdoms general and that of Imerina in particular; 
• find out outstanding facts of Malagasy civilisation.

How will I assess my learning in this block?

This block comprises of 3 activities. They are designed to help you to evaluate your progress in the study of the contents of the block.

After having studied each section, do the activities, which proposed to you. Compare then your answers with those at the end of the block. If you have difficulties in finding the answers, please review the section.

If difficulties persist, ask for assistance from a colleague or your tutor.