114 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
under the influence of the feelings of ambition or revenge, 
and pursuing their objects by the same means, viz. treachery, 
bloodshed, and devastation. Such having been for so many 
generations the state of Madagascar, there remained, at 
that important era in its history which comprised the reign 
of Radama, little beyond a slight traditional account of 
his ancestry, which it may not be altogether unimportant 
to perpetuate. 
It does not appear that the whole island ever submitted 
to one sovereign, though various chieftains had at different 
periods extended their conquests beyond the original bound¬ 
aries of their own provinces. Had any of these been succeeded 
by men of equal enterprise, sagacity, or success, the petty 
provinces of Madagascar might have been amalgamated 
into one kingdom; but it has generally occurred, that, on 
the death of a successful chieftain, some feeble or mis¬ 
guided son has lost all that the father had gained; and, in 
some instances, a father, after having acquired a consi¬ 
derable addition of territory, has, at his decease, divided his 
conquests among his sons; thus, by a mistaken idea of 
laying the foundation of equality amongst the different 
claimants, affording them fresh opportunities of jealousy, 
resulting in an endless succession of seizures and reprisals. 
The following is a notice of the principal chieftains in 
Imerina, in the line of Radama’s descent, from a remote 
period:— 
1. Rafrandrano. 2. Rafandrandana. 
3. Rafandranpohy. 4. Rafandramanenitra. 
5. Ralohafandrana. 6. Ramasinaloha-fandrana. 
7. Andriamparamahery. 
All these had their capital at Ampandrana, a village to 
the south of the present capital. The seat of government 
was afterwards changed, and the following chieftains sue- 
