ABSTRACT
The people known today as the Betsileo occupy a large territory of the southern highlands of Madagascar. Administratively speaking, the Betsileo homeland is situated in Amoron’i Mania and Matsiatra Ambony, the two faritra that were parts of the former faritany of Fianarantsoa. In geographic terms, Betsileo territory is roughly situated between the Mania River to the north and the Andringitra chain and the Zomandao River to the south. The use of the name ‘Betsileo’ for the people living in the southern highlands is recent and dates back to the creation of a Betsileo province by King Radama I after his conquests in the early nineteenth century. Prior to being subjected to Merina rule, the region that was going to be known as Betsileo comprised many petty kingdoms. The basic units of southern Betsileo social organisation are the tomb-centred, named local descent groups, which are called foko or firazanana.
