Jean Valette, in discussing the death of Prince Ratefinanahary, provides an analysis and critique of historical sources regarding the event. All sources agree that he was assassinated or executed by Queen Ranavalona I. Among the key accounts are those by Robert Lyall, William Ellis, Raombana, and Father Callet.
William Ellis, citing Simon Ayache, notes that Ratefy and his wife Rabodosahondra attempted to flee to Mauritius after the death of King Radama I but were intercepted in the forest by the Queen’s men and executed. Raombana, writing in the 1850s, offers a different version: Rabodosahondra was killed in Vohiboaza, while Ratefy was arrested in Toamasina and taken to Ambatomanga. There, he was accused of deserting his post to help Rakotobe and Raketaka seize the throne, a charge he denied, claiming he was forced to leave his post.
Father Callet’s ‘Tantara ny Andriana eto Madagascar’ provides a more detailed account of the trial. Ratefy claimed he traveled to Imerina to pledge allegiance to the new Queen, Ranavalona I, and even offered to undergo the ‘tanguin’ ordeal to prove his innocence. However, his accusers invoked a law from the 1820 Sahafa Kabary—a law Ratefy himself had helped establish—which mandated the death penalty for desertion. The Queen, while acknowledging his past services, felt bound by the oath of her subjects and allowed the execution to proceed.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-26 05:39:20 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/le-prince-ratefyexecute-cause-du.html