BARBARY STATES (derived from Berbers: see belo•). The countries of Morocco. Algeria, Tunis, Tripoli. and %rm. in Northern Africa. known in P0111:111 times as Mauretania, Numidia. Africa Propria, and Cyrenaica. They lie between longitudes 10° W. and 23° E., and latitudes 25° to 37° N. The western half of this region is traversed by the Atlas Mountains, south of which lies the desert tract of the Sahara. Most of the region, while pertaining geographically to Africa, is not specially African in its characteristics; but in geological configuration, climate, flora, and fauna, belongs to the basin of the Mediterranean. It is watered by many small streams, which either flow into the Mediterranean or into a se ries of salt lakes that lie on the plateaus between the mountain elevations. A large portion of the country is capable of cultivation, and many of the products of the north, fruits and vegetables, are brought to great perfection, the Algerian grape being of particularly fine quality. Millet and other grains are largely grown. Sheep-rais ing is au extensive industry with the Arabs. During the times of the Carthaginians, Greeks, and Romans, the region was exceedingly pro ductive, owing to the elaborate systems of irriga tion which were constructed. Most of the natural conditions of its ancient productiveness still remain, Among the people, besides the French and other Europeans, several distinct races may be enumerated: Berbers—the ancient autochtho nous race from whom comes the name—Moors and settled Arabs, Bedouins or wandering Arabs, Jews, Turks, Kuluglis, and Negroes. The Ber bers inhabit the open country, while the Moors reside in the towns. Jews settled here in ancient times, but the greater number of that race immi grated at the time of their expulsion from Spain. The Turks entered the Barbary States in the Sixteenth Century, and soon extended their sway westward as far as the borders of Morocco. They still retain their hold on Tripoli and Berea. The Kuluglis (the children of Turks by native mothers) are excluded from the possessMn of all the paternal rights and privileges. The Ne groes are not natives. hut are brought thither principally from Sudan and Guinea. The great majority of the population is Mohammedan. Arabic is the language of commerce and inter course, and in "Morocco the language of Govern ment, and the mother-tongue of Bedonins, Moors. and even Jew's; but in Tripoli the language of Government is Turkish. The Berbers proper, in the highlands, to which they have been driven by foreign conquerors, use a peculiar speech.
In the oldest historical times the Mauri (the ancestors of the modern Moors) dwelt in the northwest; the ,Numidians occupied the interior and eastern parts; and Phmni•ian colonies were situated on the coasts. The PMenicians founded cities—among them Utica, Hippo, Hadrumetum, Leptis, and afterwards Carthage—from about n.c. 1050 to 850. Confining themselves to the coast between the Great Syrtis and the Straits of Gibraltar, they maintained commerce with the people of the interior and the seaports of the Mediterranean. In the Seventh Century B.C. the Greeks founded Cyrene, and colonized the plateau of Barca. While the Phcenician colonies held sway on the coast. the Mauri and the Nu midians were divided into several independent tribes, and, like their neighbors, the Gaffuli, were wholly uncivilized. After the Second Punic War, the Romans extended their sway over Car thaginian Africa, which became a Roman prov ince at the close of the Third Punic War, when the city of Carthage was sacked and destroyed 146). Numidia was annexed after the vic tory over Jugurtha. and Mauretania after the defeat of Juba and the Pompeians by Ciesar. The son of Juba, bearing the same name. was allowed
to reign as a nominal sovereign by Augustus, but Mauretania was in fact a Roman province. The territory thus acquired by the Romans formed some of the largest and most provinces of their vast empire. They built large towns, whose extensive ruins are still to be seen scattered over the land, even to the verge of the Desert. Everywhere they executed important works, such as the cisterns and aqueducts at Rusicada, Hippo, and Cirta, and the temples and amphitheatres of Calama and Amnia, which clearly show that the inhabitants enjoyed the benefits of a secure civilization. Under Con stantine North Africa was divided into nine provinces. At the division of the Empire, all of these, except one, the Begin Syrtiva, fell to the share of the Western Empire. Christianity took a strong, hold in Roman Africa, and in the three Manretanias there were more than dioceses. The decline of Roman power produced a state of anarchy in the African provinces, and they easily fell a prey to the Vandals under Gen serie in A.». 429. The Vandal kingdom continued until 533, when it was overthrown by Justinian's great general, Belisarins. The Numidians and the Mauri made themselves masters of the interi or and of the coast of Mauretania Tingitana. and the Byzantine territories were restricted to the neighborhood of Carthage and some points on the coast. North Africa was swept in 4317 by an Arabic invasion. impelled by the first Mohamme dan impulse of conquest. The first invader, Ab dallah-ben-Said, carried the banner of the Cres cent through Tripoli. was followed by .Akbar (005-070). who completed the conquest of Tripoli to the edge of the Desert. Hassan, the general of the Caliph Abd-el-Malck, in 092 de stroyed the new Carthage. In the con•se of less than a century the greater part of the native tribes were converted forcibly to the faith of Islam. In 711 the Saracens crossed over from Africa into Spain, which they conquered within three years. In 789 the western provinces of Mohammedan Africa separated themselves from the others, and Edris-ben-Abdallah founded there the dynasty of the Edrisites. In 800 the gover nor of the eastern provinces, lbrahim-ben-Aglab, declared himself independent, and founded the dynasty of the Aglabites. From this time down to 1213!) the changes of dynasty in Barbary were frequent. Numerous independent States arose. At the close of the Eleventh Century the Almora vides, who had established their sway in Moroceo, made themselves masters of :Mohammedan Spain. In the middle of the Twelfth Century they suc cumbed to the Almohades. The conquest of the Moors in Spain by the Christians was followed by their settlement on the coast of Northern Africa, where they began their career of piracy, at first as a retaliation against their Christian foes, but ultimately as a barbarous profession. As early as the time of Ferdinand the Catholic, the Spaniards sought to check their ravages, and invaded Africa on several occasions, capturing the ports of Ceuta. Melilla, Oran, Bngia (Bou gie), the island before Algiers, and Tripoli. The Portuguese landed on the coast of Morocco, where at first they had great success; but they were ultimately compelled to leave the country. In the course of the Sixteenth Century Algiers. Tripoli, and Tunis were brought under the gov ernment of the Turkish Sultan. The Dey of Algiers shook off the authority of Turkey about the beginning of the Eighteenth Century. The French established their sway in Algeria after a bloody war, which lasted from 1830 to 1847. In 1881 Tunis was placed mulct- French protee tion. For an account of the modern States comprised within this region, see the arti•les Moaocco; TUNIS ; ALGERIA ; TRIPOLI ; FEZZAN and BARCA.