Rituals and coutumes in the European slave trade on Madagascar in the 17th and 18th centuries

Authors

  • Rafaël Thiébaut Institut des mondes africains (IMAF), Université de Paris I, France Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21825/af.v29i2.4847

Abstract

In this text, we will retrace the commercial interactions linked to the slave trade between Europeans and Malagasy in the 17th and 18th centuries. As is often the case, this commerce was much more than a simple exchange of products, it can be termed a ritual, created by Malagasy sovereigns to which the Dutch and French merchants had to adhere. This ranged from presenting courtesy gifts up to the delivery of oral and written venerations, and represented an important cofirmation of power. The monarch often kept the upper hand over the Europeans who found themselves on hostile terrain, though the latter were not completely stripped of power as they effectively controlled the volume of this external commerce. Key words: slave trade, Indian Ocean World, local sovereignty, history of Madagascar, European companies 

Author Biography

Rafaël Thiébaut, Institut des mondes africains (IMAF), Université de Paris I, France Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

History

Published

2016-08-14

How to Cite

Thiébaut, R. (2016). Rituals and coutumes in the European slave trade on Madagascar in the 17th and 18th centuries. frika ocus, 29(2). https://doi.org/10.21825/af.v29i2.4847

Issue

Section

Articles