The population is estimated at about 1,900,000 and consists chiefly of Berbers and Arabs. They profess Mohammedanism. The foreign popula tion in 1901 was composed mainly of 67.420 Italians and 38,839 French. There are numer ous French as well as 'Mohammedan schools, a Mohammedan university in Tunis, and a college. Tunis is as rich in antiquities as almost any part of Italy. Punic, Roman, and Byzantine ruins abound, the two former classes represent ing magnificent epochs. The site of Carthage is still marked by the remains of substructures. A fine museum of relics has been established here. The Bardo collection near the capital is valuable.
The early history of Tunis is connected with that of Carthage (q.v.). After the fall of Carthage thee region became the Roman province of Africa (Africa in the narrot•e• sense), sub divided into the northern district of Zeugitana and the southern district of Byzachun (I'ro•incia Ilvzacena). Carthage was rebuilt, and in the second and third centuries of the Christian Era was one of the most important cities of the Ro man Empire. The Romans were vanquished by the Vandals under Genseric in 429. The Vandals held the country until their King, Gelimer, was conquered and taken prisoner in 534 by Beli sarius (q.v.), the general of the Byzantine Em peror Justinian. Tunis then remained under Byzantine rule until the conquest by the Arabs in the seventh century. Under Mohammedan rule the city of Kairwan rose to great splendor. After having formed for more than a century a part of the dominions of the caliphs, the coun try was ruled successively by the dynasties of the Aglabitos, Fatimites, Almohades, and Aleri nides. In the middle of the twelfth century it was for a short time under the rule of Roger II. of Sicily. in 1270 Louis IX. of France, having undertaken a crusade, died during his invasion of Tunis, and in 1390 the French under the Duke of Bourbon were again unsuccessful, being re pulsed at Malidiya. In the fourteenth century Tunis became independent under the Hafsite rulers and had an era of comparative prosperity. In 1535 Charles V. undertook an expedition against the famous corsair Rhair-ed-Din (Bar barossa who had established himself at Tunis. captured the city, and liberated over 20.000 Christian slaves. In 1575 Sinan Pasha con quered the country and incorporated it with the Ottoman Empire. The government was placed in the hands of a Turkish pasha, a divan or council, composed of the officers of the Turkish garrison, and the commander of the janizaries.
After a few years, however, an insurrection of the soldiery broke out, and a new government was established, the head of which was a •dey' possessing limited authority, the chief power being at. first exercised by the military divan. But gradually an officer, with the title of 'Icy,' whose original functions were confined to the collection of tribute and taxes, acquired a su premacy over the other authorities, and finally obtained a kind of hereditary sovereignty. The
boys of Tunis made conquests on the mainland and piratical enterprises against Christian pow ers at sea. During the eighteenth century Tunis became tributary to Algeria. About the begin ning of the nineteenth century Hanmda Pasha put an end to this dependence. subdued the Turk ish militia, and created a native Tunisian army, in consequence of which Tunis virtually attained independence. The subsequent rulers. Aehmet Bey (1837-55), Mohammed Bey (185559), and :Mohammed Sadyk Bey (1859-82), were liberal, enlightened sovereigns. In 1871 the Sultan renounced the tribute formerly exacted, and fixed the future relations of the Sublime Porte to Tunis. The Bey was to receive his investi ture from Constantinople; without the Sultan's authority he could neither declare war, conclude peace, nor cede territory; the Sultan's name was to appear on all the coinage: the army was to be at the disposal of the Porte. In internal mat ters, however, the power of the Bey was to he absolute. In 18S1 France. with the ostensible purpose of chastising the Khrumirs, who hail made raids into Algerian territory, sent an ex pedition into Tunis. At the same time a French squadron appeared before the capital and the Bey was forced to enter into an engagement estab lishing a French protectorate over the country. Thereupon an insurrection broke out, and it was only after much bloodshed that the French were able to compel submission. In Jnly, ISS1, they took Sfax, and in October they occupied Kalman. By the close of the year the country was subdued. The French protectorate has con tributed to the material progress and prosperity of Tunis.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Desgodins de Souliesmes, Tunis: Bibliography. Desgodins de Souliesmes, Tunis: histoirr, »acurs, gourernement (Paris, ISS01: Reid, The Land of the Bey (London, 1882) liesse-Wartegg, Tunis, Land Lode (Vienna, 1882; Eng. trans., London, 1899) : Graham and Ashbee, Trarcls in Tunisia ( London, which has a bibliography; Olivier, La Tunisie (Paris, 189S) Desfosses, La question tu»isiciine et Vitriolic septentrionale (ib., 1881) ; Riviere, La Tunisic; geographie, evenenients de 1881, or ganisation, politione et administration ( ib., (SSG) ; Lallemand, La Tunisie, pays de protee torat francais 1S91) ; Fancon, La Tunisie avant et depuis roeeupat ion francaise 1893) ; La Tunisie francaise (ib., 1396), published by the Government : Bertholon, Lcs populations et les races en Tunisie (ib.. ; Leroy-Beaulieu, L'Algerie et la Tunisie (2d ed., ib., 1897) Tissot, Exploration. seirntilique de la Tunisic (ib., 1884-SS) ; Carton. Deeourertes epigraphique& et arrheologiques. faites rn Tunisie (Lille. 1895) Clarin de la Rive, Histoire gene rale de In Tunisie (Paris, 1895).