Passion or Profession: King

Period: 1787–1810

Founded in the 16th century, the Merina Kingdom was divided into rival highland tribes by the late 18th century. Andrianampoinimerina joined the tribes into a reunified Merina Kingdom in the 1790s. With Antananarivo as his capital, Andrianampoinimerina established trade with the French and helped build a complex society on the plateau of central Madagascar.