till 1573, many years after the father's death, and was in fact a paraphrase enlarged from other sources, thus, according to Cigogna's questionable judgment, “converting the dry story of Villehardouin into an elegant (fiorita) historical work.” It was not published till 1609, nine years after Paolo's death; nor was it ever really reprinted, though it became the subject of a singular and unintelligible forgery. For Iacopo Gaffarelli, who was sent to Venice to buy books for Richelieu, having apparently procured the “remainder” copies, removed the title and preliminary pages and substituted a fresh title with the date 1634, and a dedication to his master the cardinal.[1]
Girolamo Giuseppe (1555–1611), the son of Paolo, was born at Venice in 1555. He entered the public service in 1577, and was employed in Connexion with various foreign missions. In 1601 he published at Lyons the French text of Villehardouin; and, besides an Italian translation of this old historian (who seems thus to have furnished occupation for three generations of Ramusios), he left behind him a Storia o Cronaca di Casa Ramusia, a folio MS still in St Mark's Library. He died at Padua in 1611, and his posterity did nothing to continue the reputation of the family, official or literary.
Besides the circumstances to be gathered from the Navigationi regarding the Ramusio family, see the Iscrizioni Venete of Emanuele Cigogna. There is also in the British Museum Monografia letta il 14 Marzo 1883... by Guglielmo Carradori (Rimini, 1833); but hardly anything has been found in this except the inscription quoted at the beginning of this article. (H. Y.)
RANADE, MAHADEO GOVIND (1842–1901), Indian lawyer, reformer and author, was born on the 16th of January 1842 at Niphad, in Nasik district, of a Chitpavan Brahman family. When his father was minister at Kolhapur he attended the Anglo-vernacular school in that town, and joined the Elphinstone Institute in Bombay at the age of fourteen. He was one of the first graduates of the Bombay University, taking the B.A. in 1862 and the LL.B. in 1866. Having entered government service he became presidency magistrate and then fourth judge of the small cause court at Bombay in 1871, first-class sub-judge at Poona in 1873, and judge of the Poona small cause court in 1884, after which, as special judge under the Deccan Agriculturists Relief Act from 1887, he came into close Contact with the difficulties of the agrarian classes. In 1886 he was a member of the finance committee appointed to report on the expenditure, both imperial and provincial, with a view to retrenchment. This service won him the decoration of C.I.E. He became a member of the legislative council of Bombay in 1885, and occupied that position until raised to the high court in 1893. Being an energetic social reformer, he directed his efforts against infant marriages, the shaving of widows, the heavy cost of marriages and other social functions, and the caste restrictions on travelling abroad. He strenuously advocated widow remarriage and female education. He was the founder of the social conference movement, which he supported till his death. In the political sphere he founded the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, through which he frequently helped the government with sound advice. He was also one of the originators of the Indian National Congress. In Bombay University, where he held the offices of syndic and dean in arts, he displayed much organizing power and great intimacy with the needs of the student class. Himself a thorough Mahratti scholar, he encouraged the translation of standard English works, and tried, with some success, to introduce vernacular languages into the university curriculum. Though reared in the strictest tenets of Hinduism, his deep religious feeling and trained intellect craved something higher and broader than he could find in the traditional forms and orthodox teaching of his race. The same spiritual want being felt by many enlightened Hindus, he joined with his friends, Dr Atmaram Pandurang, Bal Mangesh Wagle and Vaman Abaji Modak, in founding a new sect in Bombay known as the “Parthana Samaj.” This community resembles, in all essential points, the Brahma Samaj of Bengal. Its principles of enlightened theism are based on the ancient Vedas. He published books on Indian economics and on Mahratta history. He died on the 16th of January 1901. He left no children, but his widow continued his work of social and educational reform at Poona.
See G. A. Mankar, Justice M. G. Ranade (Bombay, 1902).
RANAVALO (Ranavalona) III. (1864–), the last queen of Madagascar, born in 1864, was a great-niece of Radama I. Her name originally was Razafindrahety, but on succeeding to the throne of Madagascar after the death of Queen Ranavalo II.,
on the 14th of July 1883, she assumed the style of Ranavalo III. Although nominally queen, 'she took no share in the government, which her prime minister, Rainilaiarivony, had controlled since 1864. After placing her on the throne, he married her before the close of the year. Ranavalo became queen just after
the French had revived their claim to a protectorate over the island. The Hova government refusing to admit the claim, war broke out, and several sharp engagements took place. The
French bombarded the coast towns, but were unable to reach the
interior of the island, where the strength of the Hova lay. In
December 1885 a treaty was concluded by which it was agreed
that the government of the French Republic should represent
Madagascar in all foreign relations, but that in internal matters
the Hova government should be independent, as formerly.
During the next ten years French influence was quietly extended
over the island, in spite of the efforts of Rainilaiarivony, who
pursued an anti-French policy, encouraging English and American
planters and traders. In 1894 differences on commercial
and territorial questions arose between the Hova government and the French, which terminated in war. In 1895 a well organized expedition was dispatched from France to subjugate the island. Many of the inhabitants sympathized with the invaders, and even the Hova themselves were divided. Although Ranavalo endeavoured to arouse a martial spirit in her subjects, the French advanced on the capital without encountering any effective opposition. On the goth of September they captured Antananarivo. Rainilaiarivony was sent into exile, where he died in the following year; but Ranavalo was suffered to remain as nominal head of the government, under a strict French protectorate. In August 1896, to avoid commercial difficulties with foreign powers, the island was declared a French colony; but no change was made in the internal administration. Later in the year, however, the civil governor was replaced by a military resident, General Gallieni. A formidable insurrection broke out, which Gallieni suppressed, executing or exiling several prominent members of the Hova administration. Finding that the court had been a centre of intrigue, he abolished the sovereignty by proclamation in February 1897, and exiled Ranavalo to Réunion. In March 1899 she was removed to Algiers. Her exile there was relieved by occasional visits to Paris.
RANC, ARTHUR (1831–1908), French politician and writer,
was born at Poitiers on the 20th of December 1831, and was
educated for the law. Implicated in a plot against Napoleon
III. in 1853, he was acquitted, but shortly afterwards was imprisoned
for belonging to a secret society; for his share in anti imperialist
Conspiracies in 1855 he was arrested and deported to
Algeria without a trial. The amnesty of 1859 permitted him to
return to Paris, where he soon drew the attention of the police
to his presence by his violent articles. During the siege of
Paris he left the city in a balloon and joined Gambetta, for whom
he organized a system of spies through which General Trochu
was kept informed of the strength and disposition of the
Prussians around Paris. He was elected to the National
Assembly in February 1871, but resigned rather than subscribe
to the peace. He had been elected mayor of the ninth arrondissement
of Paris in the autumn of 1870, and in March was sent
by the same district to the Commune, from which he resigned
when he found no reconciliation was possible between the
mayors and the Commune. In July he became a member of
the municipal council of Paris, and in 1873 was returned to the
National Assembly for the department of the Rhone, and took
his place on the extreme Left. A month after his election the
governor of Paris demanded his prosecution for his share in the
Commune. The claim being granted by a large majority, he
- ↑ In the British Museum.
