# Rainilaiarivony

_Prime Minister of Madagascar (1828-1896)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/rainilaiarivony
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Rainilaiarivony (30 January 1828 – 17 July 1896) was a Malagasy politician who served as the chief of state and co-king of Madagascar (often translated as "prime minister") from 1864 to 1895, succeeding his older brother Rainivoninahitriniony, who had held the post for thirteen years. His career mirrored that of his father Rainiharo, a renowned military man who became prime minister during the reign of Queen Ranavalona I.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 30 January 1828 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q528996#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Ilafy ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q528996#P19))
- **Died:** 17 July 1896 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q528996#P570))
- **Place of death:** Algiers ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q528996#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Merina Kingdom ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q528996#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q528996#P106))
- **Spouse:** Rasoherina I of Madagascar; Ranavalona II; Ranavalona III ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q528996#P26))
- **Positions held:** Prime Minister of Madagascar (14 July 1864 – 14 October 1895); prime minister ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q528996#P39))
- **Awards:** Commander of the Legion of Honour ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q528996#P166))

## About

Rainilaiarivony stems from the Tsimiamboholahy family, the original royal lignage of Imerina. He is the son of Rainiharo, son of Andriantsilavo, descendant of the last great Vazimba kind of Ialamanga (later Antananarivo), Andriampirokana.

Despite a childhood marked by ostracism from his family, as a young man Rainilaiarivony was elevated to a position of high authority and confidence in the royal court, serving alongside his father and brother. He co-led a critical military expedition with Rainivoninahitriniony at the age of 24 and was promoted to commander-in-chief of the army following the death of the queen in 1861. In that position he oversaw continuing efforts to maintain royal authority in the outlying regions of Madagascar and acted as adviser to his brother, who had been promoted to prime minister in 1852. He also influenced the transformation of the kingdom's government from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one, in which power was shared between the sovereign and the prime minister. Rainilaiarivony and Queen Rasoherina worked together to depose Rainivoninahitriniony for his abuses of office in 1864. Taking his brother's place as prime minister, Rainilaiarivony remained in power as Madagascar's longest-serving prime minister for the next 31 years by marrying three queens in succession: Rasoherina, Ranavalona II and Ranavalona III.

As prime minister, Rainilaiarivony actively sought to modernize the administration of the state, in…

## Questions

**When was Rainilaiarivony born?**  
Rainilaiarivony was born on 30 January 1828 in Ilafy.

**What positions has Rainilaiarivony held?**  
Positions held by Rainilaiarivony include: Prime Minister of Madagascar (1864–1895); prime minister.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Rainilaiarivony](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainilaiarivony) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q528996](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q528996) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Rainilaiarivony.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rainilaiarivony.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Rainilaiarivony, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Rainilaiarivony.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Rainilaiarivony". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/rainilaiarivony. Retrieved 6 November 2026.