thumbnail|Sovereigns addressed the public at the historic town square of Andohalo. Successive Merina sovereigns ruled over the Kingdom of Imerina from Analamanga through King Andriamasinavalona's reign. This sovereign gave the growing city its current name; he established the Andohalo town square outside the town gate, where all successive sovereigns delivered their royal speeches and announcements to the public, and assigned the names of numerous locations within the city based on the names of similar sites in the nearby village of Antananarivokely. Andriamasinavalona designated specific territories for the hova (commoners) and each andriana (noble) subcaste, both within the neighborhoods of Antananarivo and in the countryside surrounding the capital. These territorial divisions were strictly enforced; members of subcastes were required to live within their designated territories and were not authorized to stay for extended periods in the territories reserved for others. Numerous fady (taboos), including injunctions against the construction of wooden houses by non-nobles and the presence of swine within the city limits, were imposed.
thumbnail|Sovereigns addressed the public at the historic town square of Andohalo Successive Merina sovereigns ruled over the Kingdom of Imerina from Analamanga through King Andriamasinavalona's reign This sovereign gave the growing city its current name; he established the Andohalo town square outside the town gate where all successive sovereigns delivered their royal speeches and announcements to the public and assigned the names of numerous locations within the city based on the names of similar sites in the nearby village of Antananarivokely Andriamasinavalona designated specific territories for the hova (commoners) and each andriana (noble) subcaste both within the neighborhoods of Antananarivo and in the countryside surrounding the capital These territorial divisions were strictly enforced; members of subcastes were required to live within their designated territories and were not authorized to stay for extended periods in the territories reserved for others Numerous fady (taboos) including injunctions against the construction of wooden houses by non-nobles and the presence of swine within the city limits were imposed