Jean Laborde, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Jean Laborde

adventurer and early industrialist in Madagascar

Date of Birth: 16-Oct-1805

Place of Birth: Auch, Occitania, France

Date of Death: 27-Dec-1878

Profession: diplomat, adventurer, industrialist

Nationality: France

Zodiac Sign: Libra


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About Jean Laborde

  • Jean Laborde (16 October 1805 in Auch - 27 December 1878 in Madagascar) was an adventurer and early industrialist in Madagascar.
  • He became the chief engineer of the Merina monarchy, supervising the creation of a modern manufacturing center under Queen Ranavalona I.
  • Later he became the first French consul to Madagascar, when the government of Napoleon III used him to establish French influence on the island. Born to a blacksmith, Laborde emigrated to India, before attempting to recover treasure from ships wrecked along the coast of Madagascar in 1831.
  • After becoming shipwrecked himself, Laborde made his way to Antananarivo where he manufactured muskets and gunpowder for the queen in a factory located in Ilafy.Laborde then organized 20,000 forced labourers to build an industrial complex in Mantasoa, closer to water, wood, and iron ore.
  • There, 1,200 workmen produced cannon, swords, bricks, tiles, pottery, glass, porcelain, silk, soap, candles, sealing-wax, lime, cement, charcoal, ink, dyes, sugar, rum, sulphuric acid, and lightning conductors.Laborde also constructed Rainiharo's tomb, and the Queen's Palace.Laborde got involved in the 1857 coup instigated by Joseph-François Lambert and was banned by the queen.
  • After the queen was succeeded by Radama II, he was able to return in 1861.
  • Napoleon III named him as the first French consul to the Merina court. The French government became involved in a dispute with the Malagasy over the inheritance of Laborde's property after his death in 1878, some of which was a gift from Queen Ranavalona I.
  • These and other French claims formed the pretext for France's later armed intervention.A species of chameleon endemic to Madagascar, Furcifer labordi, is named in his honor.

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