Following the French capture of the queen's palace at the capital city of Antananarivo in the fall of 1895, the Merina Kingdom's Prime Minister for 31 years prior, Rainilaiarivony, was removed from his post and placed under house arrest by the French Governor-General.
The Malagasy Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief Rainilaiarivony tried to resist at Tsarasaotra on 29 June 1895, and at Andriba on 22 August 1895.