Radama I

Radama I (1793-1828) was King of Madagascar's Merina Kingdom from 1810 to 1828, and the first Merina ruler to bring the majority of the island under a single central authority through a combination of military campaigns and diplomacy. He pursued closer relations with Britain, which recognized him as King of Madagascar, and welcomed British missionaries and advisors who helped introduce a Latin-based written script for the Malagasy language and establish schools that significantly expanded literacy. His reign marked a period of relative openness to foreign influence and modernization that contrasted sharply with the more isolationist and repressive rule of his widow and successor, Ranavalona I, who reversed much of this openness after his death.