Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

The present-day Republic of Tunisia, al-Jumhuriyyah at-Tunisiyyah, achieved independence from France on March 20, 1956. Its history, however, is one of occupation, with the final colonization phase being under France. Tunisia was under the control of the Berber dynasties until the sixteenth century. With their decline, this North African coastal region (known as the Barbary Coast because of the Berbers) became a bone of contention between Spain in the west and Turkey in the east ( Perkins 1986 ). Though Turkey emerged as the winner in this contest, Tunisia did not come under its direct control as a unified territory. A line of chieftains, called Beys , who were ultimately responsible to Turkey, ruled Tunisia until 1881. The modernization drive by the Beys financed by borrowing money from European countries finally bankrupted Tunisia. This consequently brought the regions of the Barbary Coast under the economic control of three major European powers – Italy, Britain, and France. In a later chain of events, the region eventually entered its last colonial phase when France turned it into a protectorate in 1881. This forced the Bey, Muhammad III al-Sadiq, to sign the Treaty of Bardo (also known as the Treaty of Al-Qasr as-Sa'id) with France on May 12, 1881. As elsewhere, colonial status brought some modernization for the region, including education and infrastructure. But in due course ... log in or subscribe to read full text