Country history · Africa

History of Tunisia

27 recorded states lay in what is now Tunisia, from Utica (1100 BCE). 4 of them have a full profile, and 12 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)7 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

12th century BCE

  1. Utica1100 BCE – 46 BCE · city state

6th century BCE

  1. Roman Republic509 BCE – 27 BCE · profile

4th century BCE

  1. Massylii300 BCE – 202 BCE · kingdom

3rd century BCE

  1. Numidia202 BCE – 46 BCE · profile
  2. Gaetuli200 BCE – 300 CE · tribal confederation

2nd century BCE

  1. Africa Proconsularis146 BCE – 439 CE · profile
  2. Musulamii100 BCE – 200 CE · tribal confederation

4th century

  1. Byzacena303 CE – 439 CE · other

5th century

  1. Laguatan400 CE – 700 CE · tribal confederation
  2. Vandal Kingdom435 CE – 534 CE · kingdom

6th century

  1. Kingdom of Capsus500 CE – 548 CE · kingdom
  2. Praetorian Prefecture of Africa534 CE – 591 CE · other
  3. Exarchate of Africa591 CE – 698 CE · other

8th century

  1. Ibadi Imamate of Tripolitania757 CE – 761 CE · theocracy

9th century

  1. Aghlabid emirate800 CE – 909 CE · emirate

10th century

  1. Zirid emirate972 CE – 1148 CE · emirate

11th century

  1. Banu Khurasan1059 CE – 1159 CE · emirate
  2. Banu Jami emirate of Gabes1097 CE – 1160 CE · emirate

12th century

  1. Kingdom of Africa1146 CE – 1160 CE · colony
  2. Qaraqush's Tripolitania1172 CE – 1212 CE · other
  3. Banu Ghaniya of Ifriqiya1184 CE – 1233 CE · emirate

13th century

  1. Hafsid Sultanate1229 CE – 1574 CE · profile
  2. Lordship of Jerba1284 CE – 1335 CE · other

16th century

  1. Ottoman Tunisia1574 CE – 1705 CE · other

18th century

  1. Beylik of Tunis1705 CE – 1956 CE · other

19th century

  1. French protectorate of Tunisia1881 CE – 1956 CE · protectorate

20th century

  1. Kingdom of Tunisia1956 CE – 1957 CE · kingdom

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Egypt, North Africa and Sudan → States of Italy → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of Tunisia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/tunisia
MLA
“History of Tunisia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/tunisia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of Tunisia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/tunisia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of Tunisia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/tunisia (Accessed: ).