Beylik of Tunis

The Beylik of Tunis (Arabic: بايلك تونس) was the legal form of present-day Tunisia, between 1705 and 1881. It was ruled by the Husainid dynasty until the establishment of the French protectorate of Tunisia. The term beylik refers to the monarch, who was called the Bey of Tunis. Under the protectorate, the latter remained nominally the head of state, with the Husainids remaining as largely symbolic sovereigns.

The Beys remained faithful to the Sublime Porte, but reigned as monarchs after gradually gaining independence from the Ottoman Empire. Between 1861 and 1864, the Beylik of Tunis became a constitutional monarchy after adopting the first constitution in Africa and the Arab world. The country had its own currency and an independent army, and in 1831 it adopted its flag, which is still in use today.