The Hova, or free commoners, were one of the three principal historic castes in the pre-colonial Imerina Kingdom of Madagascar, alongside the Andriana (nobles) and Andevo (slaves). The term hova originally applied to all members of a Malagasy clan (possibly of the Zafiraminia people) that migrated into the central highlands from the southeast coast of the island around the 14th century and began displacing the existing population of Vazimba.