▁resulted ▁in ▁reduced ▁cor ruption ▁among ▁Ant an an ar ivo ' s ▁lower - level ▁b ureau cr ats ▁in ▁particular , ▁although ▁high - level ▁officials ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁pro sec uted ▁by ▁the ▁b ureau . ▁ ▁Security ▁ ▁The ▁rise ▁of ▁central ized ▁kingdom s ▁among ▁the ▁Sak al ava , ▁Mer ina ▁and ▁other ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁produced ▁the ▁island ' s ▁first ▁standing ▁arm ies ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁initially ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁spe ars ▁but ▁later ▁with ▁mus k ets , ▁can n ons ▁and ▁other ▁fire ar ms . ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Mer ina ▁so ver eign s ▁of ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Mad agas car ▁had ▁brought ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁under ▁their ▁control ▁by ▁mobil izing ▁an ▁army ▁of ▁trained ▁and ▁armed ▁soldiers ▁number ing ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁French ▁attacks ▁on ▁coast al ▁towns ▁in ▁the ▁later ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁century ▁prompt ed ▁then - Pr ime ▁Minister ▁Rain il ai ar iv ony ▁to ▁solic it ▁British ▁assistance ▁to ▁provide ▁training ▁to ▁the ▁Mer ina ▁mon archy ' s ▁army . ▁Despite ▁the ▁training ▁and ▁leadership ▁provided ▁by ▁British ▁military ▁advis ers , ▁the ▁Mal ag asy ▁army ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁with stand ▁French ▁weapon ry ▁and ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁surrender ▁following ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁the ▁royal ▁palace ▁at ▁Ant an an ar ivo . ▁Mad agas car ▁was ▁declared ▁a ▁col ony ▁of