Why were the Antemoro unique among Malagasy states during the 1630s?

By the 1630s, the Antemoro were unique among Malagasy states because they had established a theocratic state that was the only one on the island to possess written texts.12

These texts, which were both religious and secular in nature, were written in the Malagasy language using the Arabic alphabet. This literacy distinguished them from other contemporary Malagasy societies, which were largely characterized by fragmented political structures and oral traditions. Furthermore, the Antemoro maintained a closer connection to the Muslim faith than other groups in the region, such as the Zafindraminia of the Fort-Dauphin area, and proximity to Islam served as a primary criterion for their right to rule.12