Agriculture and Farming in the Regency of Tunis during the Ottoman Era (1574 - 1881 AD) An In-depth Historical and Economic Study of Land Structure, Production Techniques, the Fiscal System, and Their Social Impact

Abstract

This extensive historical, economic, and structural research investigates the realities of the agricultural sector in the Regency of Tunis throughout the Ottoman era, spanning from the final conquest in 1574 AD until the establishment of the French protectorate in 1881 AD. The study aims to dismantle the complex network of relationships connecting land regimes, property legislation, and the fiscal and financial policies of the Makhzen (the state). Furthermore, it highlights production mechanisms and the geographical distribution of crops across the country's four major regions (the North, the Sahel, the Cap Bon, and the South). The research articulates in depth the unprecedented technological and engineering impact of the Andalusian (Morisco) migrations, which re-engineered the rural and hydrological landscape. Finally, the study provides a precise socio-economic analysis of the catastrophic repercussions of escalating tax pressures (such as the Majba and Lazma taxes) coupled with cyclical natural and demographic crises, demonstrating how these combined factors ultimately led to the exhaustion of the Tunisian countryside and paved the structural and land tenure path for the imposition of French colonization.