▁early ▁ 1 7 th ▁centuries . ▁Today , ▁the ▁spirits ▁of ▁the ▁V az im ba ▁are ▁rever ed ▁as ▁tom pont any ▁( anc est ral ▁master s ▁of ▁the ▁land ) ▁by ▁many ▁traditional ▁Mal ag asy ▁communities . ▁ ▁Arab ▁and ▁European ▁contacts ▁ ▁Mad agas car ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁trans o cean ic ▁trad ing ▁hub ▁connecting ▁ports ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁centuries ▁following ▁human ▁settlement . ▁▁ ▁The ▁written ▁history ▁of ▁Mad agas car ▁began ▁with ▁the ▁Arab s , ▁who ▁established ▁trad ing ▁posts ▁along ▁the ▁north west ▁coast ▁by ▁at ▁least ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century ▁and ▁introduced ▁Islam , ▁the ▁Arab ic ▁script ▁( used ▁to ▁trans cribe ▁the ▁Mal ag asy ▁language ▁in ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁writing ▁known ▁as ▁sor abe ), ▁Arab ▁ast ro log y , ▁and ▁other ▁cultural ▁elements . ▁▁ ▁European ▁contact ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 5 0 0 , ▁when ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁sea ▁captain ▁Di ogo ▁D ias ▁sight ed ▁the ▁island , ▁while ▁particip ating ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Arm ada ▁of ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁India ▁Arm adas . ▁The ▁French ▁established ▁trad ing ▁posts ▁along ▁the ▁east ▁coast ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁Brazil ▁was ▁also ▁first ▁encountered ▁by ▁Europe ans ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁voyage ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Arm ada , ▁which ▁was ▁commanded ▁by ▁Pedro ▁Ál var es ▁Cab ral . ▁ ▁From ▁about ▁ 1 7 7 4 ▁to ▁ 1 8 2 4