ANAND MOHEEPUTH
His life seems to have the flavour of a Shakespearean tragedy in which the main protagonist is “prince” Ratsitatane and the trio villainous characters are out baying for his blood.
Ratsitatane (1790-1822) grew up amongst the nobility in Merina, Madagascar. Whether he had any family linkage with King Radama I (1793-1828) or not has not been definitely established. Sylvain Roux, the French envoy then, referred to him as the nephew of the king. But the historian Pier Larson writes, “Ratsitatanina was not Radama’s nephew as is commonly asserted”.
Nonetheless, Ratsitatane was prince Radama’s boyhood friend. Radama would ascend the Merina throne in 1810. That proximity earned Ratsitatane not only a job as Divisional chief in the king’s army but more importantly the trust of the king.
Ratsitatane’s fortunes at the Merina court began running to a low ebb from 1817 when the Governor of Mauritius, Sir Robert Farquhar, in a strategic move to discourage the slave traffic from Madagascar and curb the growing influence of the French signed a treaty of friendship with the Merina king.
In a country where rivalries between ethnic groups were rife, Farquhar tried a masterstroke by recognizing Radama, hitherto a petty king, as the only “King of Madagascar”. To satisfy the king’s appetite for territorial expansion and supremacy, the Governor of Mauritius promised him military assistance in order to subdue the rest of the country.
With a number of treaties that followed, Farquhar posted a resident agent at the Merina Court to ensure the relationship was kept alive. Bibye Lesage, the Governor’s aide-de-camp, sailed from Mauritius in 1816 as envoy and stayed there for some time. He was replaced by James Hastie, an army man having served in India and who, it was said, heroically saved the historic Government House in Port Louis from being gutted by a fire in September 1816.
Appointed resident agent in Madagascar, Hastie soon cast a spell on the King. It did not take long for a bonded relationship to be forged between Radama and Hastie. In pole position for the king’s ear now stood the British agent. He became Radama’s trusted adviser and confidant. From then on, Ratsitatane being ejected from the king’s inner circle fell in disgrace.
Radama’s rapprochement with the English community, more so with the advent of the London Missionary Society, was resented by Ratsitatane. He was more comfortable with the French. His father, Rakavalou, as recorded by Leguével de Lacombe in his “Voyages à Madagascar”, affirmed that over the years, Ratsitatane had developed good rapport with the French residents. But if his disdain for the British stemmed mainly from the fact that he lost his place in the king’s entourage, he dared not denounce Hastie’s overbearing attitude, particularly, the slaps he used to give to Malagasy soldiers. Such denunciation meant risking his head as was the case of a French man, Filihan, who had his head cut off on Radama’s order instigated by Hastie.
But Ratsitatane bided his time. The moment for him to settle scores with Hastie came when the military expedition mounted against the Sakavalas in July 1821 failed half way through. That failure was attributed to Hastie’s disastrous planning which took no account of difficult terrain, nor of the torrid heat, shortage of provisions and diseases resulting in heavy losses of lives.
It was on the return journey in the absence of the king that Ratsitatane had an altercation with Hastie over that disastrous expedition. With the soldiers on his side, Ratsitatane extracted from Hastie an oath in the Malagasy style warning him for the sake of his life he better refrained from meddling in the internal matters of Madagascar.
On this incident, Leguével de Lacombe wrote, « l’agent Hastie est accusé de revers de l’armée de Radama….il (Ratsitatane) essaya d’intimider Hastie en le capturant et en lui faisant faire un serment style malgache et lui demandant de ne plus prendre part aux affaires du pays…. »
Ratsitatane’s arrest
But the oath was repudiated by Hastie once he was back to Merina. The king having been apprised of the humiliation Hastie suffered ordered Ratsitatane’s arrest. His execution was to follow but the possibility of an ill-feeling in the army deterred the king from taking any miscalculated decision. On Hastie’s advice, Ratsitatane’s life was spared and exiling him to Mauritius was the punishment envisaged. A definite banishment to Rodrigues « endroit rêvé pour une deportation » where a ship called once a year was the next step.
On 3 January 1822, the “Menai” commanded by Captain Moresby brought to Port Louis Ratsitatane. Hastie accompanied him. By the same vessel came prince Rafaralahy despatched by Radama for a “secret” and “confidential” meeting with Farquhar.
While prince Rafaralahy and his delegation were lodged at the Governor’s residence at the Champ de Mars, Ratsitatane was confined to the bagne to keep company with convicts. For a day or two, no restriction was imposed on his movement within the bagne. That’s why with the permission of Jean Baptist Gaiqui, Chief officer, at the bagne and accompanied by two guards, he went out to see Bibye Lesage whom he knew when the latter was Farquhar’s envoy to Madagascar in 1816. Being informed that Ratsitatane was out to Lesage’s residence nearby, Hastie ordered that he be locked in a cell, a decision deemed illegal by the Chief Judge, George Smith.
But at the bagne, Ratsitatane’s misfortune was that he became an easy prey for an “evil-genius” by the name of Jean Laizaf, a Malagasy apprentice, turned watchman. Laizaf was also employed by Captain Orieux, a slave hunter, for tracking down marooned slaves. Laizaf was a “tall talker” who could easily sway anybody’s mind. The historian Evenor Hitié wrote that he was so persuasive that “l’imbécile Ratsitatane” believed in his cock-and-bull story, namely that he could become king of Mauritius by launching a slave revolt.
It was also no secret that Laizaf met prince Rafaralahy several times. According to C.Mantaux, it was possible that Rafaralahy was involved in the plot to eliminate Ratsitatane as also he does not exclude the possibility that Farquhar, Hastie and Radama could have some sort of involvement in the conspiracy. Prince Rafaralahy left Mauritius a week after Ratsitatane was beheaded.
According to a judicial report, Ratsitatane’s escape from the bagne in the night of 18 February 1822 was planned by Laizaf. Ratsitatane was told to go hiding on the Signal Mountain where about 40 Malagasy slaves had assembled.
Laizaf stayed behind. He went to his master, Captain Orieux, to announce him that Ratsitatane had fled to the mountain and was about to set the town on fire and kill the whites.
As news of that escape began spreading, the inhabitants were seized with panic and fear.
Amidst the frenzy, Farquhar ordered Major Ralph Darling, the officer commanding the troops, to get the militia to launch a man-hunt.
A public notice issued by the Governor on 21 February 1822 informed the population that cash rewards for the capture of the fugitives were offered: 1000 piastres for the capture of the “ring leader”, Ratsitatane; 250 piastres for his second and 60 piastres for each of the other pseudo-rebels.
A description of Ratsitatane accompanied the notice. Ratsitatane was described as being “de teint legèrement cuivré, sa taille est d’environ 5 pieds 10 pouces (1,77m); il est d’une constitution athlétique, a une touffe de poils au menton et de longs cheveux noirs nattés à la mode des Ovah du pays desquels il provient; il ne parle que le malgache, il portait un lamba blanc à bords bleus”.
The beheading
So, when a detachment of twenty-five soldiers climbing up the mountain fired some shots, the fugitives fled downwards on the other side of the mountain until they arrived at the estate of Mr Moncamp when they were rounded up. In the evening of 21 February, another notice announced “que quatre noirs malgaches dont l’un d’eux est désigné comme chef ont été arrêtés dans la matinée de ce jour au quartier des Plaines Wilhems”.
Ratsitatane pleaded innocence saying that the plot was hatched by Laizaf and his only wish was to return to Madagascar to see his family.
The Court of First Instance held that of the 26 fugitives charged with armed insurrection, six were to be condemned to death. They were (1) Ratsitatane, (2) Laizaf, (3) L’Eveillé, (4) Latulipe, (5) Nelson, (6) Kotovolo-Cottevould also known as Prospère.
In his report, Justice George Smith wrote that “Laizaf was the sole author and Director of it (the plot). He was the only person by whom all the negroes found upon the mountain were drawn together under one presence and the public accuser in framing his conclusions states that Laizaf was playing upon the police under the appearance of discovering a plot which existed only in his imagination”.
According to Justice Smith, the only person who merited the penalty of death was Laizaf. Of Ratsitatane, he wrote that “his early removal from the colony may be desirable if it should be deemed just and proper to spare his life”.
The execution of the “rebels” was fixed for 15 April 1822. A day before, Farquhar wrote to Portalis, the Substitute Procureur-General, requesting him to submit three names of those condemned to die who should be pardoned. “Je vous prie”, wrote the Governor, “de me citer trois de ceux condamnés à la mort, qui sont dans votre opinion les moins graciables…..”
Portalis replied that the three who should not be granted mercy were Ratsitatane, Laizaf and L’Eveillé.
But as Edward Byam, ex Commissary-General of Police, pointed out, pardoning of Laizaf and L’Eveillé was “passionately urged” on Farquhar by their masters. Laizaf and L’Eveillé were removed from the list of those to be executed. They were replaced by Latulipe and Kotovolo-Cottevould (Prospère).
As for Ratsitatane’s accomplices in secondary roles in the plot, they received each 50 lashes on the buttocks.
On 15 April 1822, at 15.30 hrs, Ratsitatane, Latulipe and Kotovolo-Cottevould (Prospère) were taken on a red painted cart to the Plaine Verte. Ratsitatane witnessed the beheading of his two comrades. When his turn came, he murmured a few words and laid his head on the block. The executioner, André Bamba, struck in three times with his axe to cut off Ratsitatane’s head.
The three heads were subsequently each mounted on a pole for public viewing at the foot of the Signal mountain.
