kingdom · Central and Southern Africa

Bara Kingdom

1650 CE – 1900 CE (approx.)

The cattle-herding Bara people of southern-central Madagascar, ruled by Zafimanely nobles in several rival kingdoms.

Origins

The Bara occupied the grasslands of south-central Madagascar around Ihosy, where a ruling house, the Zafimanely, established authority over cattle-herding clans by the 17th century. Tradition links the Zafimanely to the dynasties of the south-east.

Rule and society

Bara society was organised around cattle, which measured wealth and were central to ritual, and around warrior values, including cattle raiding as a test of manhood. Power was divided among several Zafimanely chiefs rather than a single state. Little written evidence exists before the 19th century.

Decline and legacy

The Merina Kingdom established posts in Bara country in the 19th century but never fully controlled it. French forces subdued the region around 1900. The Bara remain one of Madagascar's main pastoral peoples.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (1)

More states of Central and Southern Africa →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bara Kingdom. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bara-kingdom
MLA
“Bara Kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bara-kingdom. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Bara Kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bara-kingdom.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bara Kingdom’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bara-kingdom (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻