Joseph-François Lambert

Joseph-François Lambert, the "Duke of Merina", (1824 Redon, France - 1873) was a French adventurer, businessman, and diplomat who fathered the Lambert Charter.

The Lambert Charter

Lambert travelled to Mauritius where at the age of 22 he married a wealthy widow and accumulated further wealth by entering the slave trade. By sea he relieved a Merina garrison in 1854 that was beleaguered by rebelling Malagasy tribes. As a reward he was invited to a royal audience with the xenophobic queen Ranavalona I. At her capital Antananarivo he met Jean Laborde, a Frenchman who had established an armament industry for the Merina army. Importantly, Lambert made contact with Prince Rakoto, the queen's son and future heir. According to Lambert, the prince gave him the exclusive right to exploit all minerals, forests, and unoccupied land in Madagascar in exchange for a 10-percent royalty payable to the Merina monarchy. In years to come, the French would use this Lambert Charter and a letter of the prince to Napoléon III asking for French protection to justify the Franco-Hova Wars and the annexation of Madagascar as a colony. The Lambert Charter was signed on June 28, 1855. The authenticity of the documents has been questionned, in any case the prince had no authority at that time and his actions would have been treacherous.cite book|author=Keith Laidler|title=Female Caligula. Ranavalona, The Mad Queen of Madagascar|publisher=Wiley (2005) ISNB -13 978-0-470-02223-8 ]

Coup attempt

With these documents Lambert went to London and Paris to try to elicit help and support to overthrow the ruling queen and have her replaced by her son. Although no official help was given he returned to Madagascar in 1857. The world traveller Ida Pfeiffer was an unwitting participant in his travel party. The coup that was planned for June 20 failed and Queen Ranavalona executed the locals who were involved. All the Europeans were banned including Lambert, Laborde, and Pfeiffer. After a gruelling 53-day trip through malaria-infested territory for a normally week-long journey the Europeans were weakened and diminished. Lambert with the survivors embarked and returned to Mauritius.

The Companie de Madagascar

After the Queen's death in 1861, prince Rakoto succeeded her as King Radama II, and Lambert saw his chance to have the agreement put in place. The new king confirmed the charter and bestowed on him the title of "Duke of Merina" (duc d'Imerina). Lambert and other businessmen founded the Companie de Madagascar in Paris as a joint stock company to take advantage of the charter; its official title was "La compagnie de Madagascar financière, industrielle et commerciale" and it was authorized by imperial decree of May 2, 1863. Radama was assassinated at that time, and the new government sought to renegotiate the charter leading to considerable friction between the Companie de Madagascar and the French government versus the Merina. [ [http://www.econlib.org/library/YPDBooks/Lalor/llCy675.html Madagascar History] ] It would take still three decades and French interventions to make Madagascar a French colony. Breaking of the Lambert Charter was one of the pretenses for later military involvement in the Franco-Hova war that led to the French conquest of the island.

As the situation in Madagascar had turned unfavorable after Radama's death Lambert moved to the Comoro Islands in 1865 where he ruled as Regent of Mwali from 1868-71. He died in 1873.

References

Sources

* [http://taniko.free.fr/monarchie4.htm Timeline (in French) accessed 5/21/2007]

Persondata
NAME= Lambert, Joseph-François
ALTERNATIVE NAMES="Duke of Merina"
SHORT DESCRIPTION=French adventurer, businessman, and diplomat who fathered the Lambert Charter
DATE OF BIRTH=1824
PLACE OF BIRTH=Redon, France
DATE OF DEATH=1873
PLACE OF DEATH=