HISTORY

HERALDRY

Carthago

Roman Rule

Christian Era

Almohads

Hafsids

Muradids

Hussaynids

The Beylik

The Kingdom

The Republic

Armed Forces

Beylical Armed Forces

The Protecorate

Modern Times

The Husaynids

As holders of the office of Bey the Husaynid Dynasty effectively ruled Tunisia as sovereigns from 1705 to 1881; thereafter they continued to merely reign until 1957. In Ottoman theory perhaps until 1881 the Bey of Tunis remained a vassal of the Ottoman Empire (the Friday prayer was pronounced in the name of the Ottoman Sultan, money was coined in his honor, and an annual ambassador once brought gifts to Constantinople) but for centuries the Ottomans were not able to depend on, or exact, the obedience of the Tunisian Bey. In 1881 the French created their protectorate which lasted until 1956. During this period the beylical institution was retained; the Husaynid Bey served as titular head of state but it was the French who actually ruled the country. After achieving its full independence Tunisia declared itself a republic in 1957; the beylical office was terminated and the Husaynid dynasty came to an end.

Six stripes white and red

Cornelisz Danckertsz, 1700 ca [1]

Five stripes blue, red, green, red and blue

Cornelisz Dankertsz, 1750 ca [2]

In a decree of Husayn Bey of 20.10.1827 ratified in 1831, a new flag was adopted. No information about the decree or ratification was given to the Ottoman sultan, the de jure suzerain of the bey.

The new flag was red, charged with a white oval bearing a red crescent-and-star, the star being of eight points.

It is an adaptation of the Ottoman man-of-war flag of the time and was also flown as a man-of-war flag.

At the same time the merchant flag became all red.

The Achievement

The achievement showed arms with a banner surrounded by a trophy of flags and arms.

The development of the achievement can be reconstructed as follows.

The oldest picture of the achievement shows arms with a banner charged with a dhu’l-fakar or split-bladed sword, surround by a garland and a trophy of six post-1831 merchant flags. In base is an emblem of a crescent-and-star. [3]

A second version shows the same arms, crested with the crescent and star, the trophy augmented with halberds, bayoneted guns and two cannon in saltire. Pending therefrom the jewel of an Order.

Another picture of the achievement is on a bookplate dated 1847 and dedicated to Ahmad I Bey. The bookplate was sold at an auction in Versailles at the beginning of the 20th century and had belonged to a Tunisian Navy officer. [4] It shows:

The flags are of three stripes now, probably red-green-red and decorated with verses (from the Q’uran?) in arab script. Pending from the cannon in saltire is the jewel of the Order of Nishan al-Iftikhar, founded by Mustapha Pasha Bey in 1835.

A younger version is documented on the frontispiece of a book dated 1858:  [5]

This shows the banner on the arms of four stripes, the shield within a golden bordure surrounded by a garland of laurel and palm-leaves, the jewel of the order of Nishan al-Ifthikar replaced by the jewel of the order of the Order of the Blood (Nishan ud-dam), founded by Ahmad I Pasha Bey in 1839.

Of this version a coloured plaque is known [6]:

A new version is above the throne in the Bardo Palace and probably dates from 1861 [7]:

French Protectorate

After the establishment of the French Protectorate in 1881 the national emblem of the crescent-and-star was maintained

The national emblem was the centerpiece of the ensign and merchant flag and of the national arms, which was of the same blason as the flag. that is: Red, a white disc charged with a red crescent-and-star.

At the same time the ancient man-of-war flag and the merchent flag were abolished.

An augmented version of the national emblem showed the crescent-and-star surrounded by a garland of laurel and oak.

This version could also be found on the thrones in the Main Hall and the Court of Justice, the garland supported by two flags in saltire.

Throne in the Main Hall of the Bardo Palace, 1899

showing the national emblem and the national achievement of crescent-and-star, garland and flags.

Some other versions of the larger achievement are known from this era but in the end the achievement of 1861 was used again.

On a post-card, before 1903

From the reign of Muhammad IV [8]

From the reign of Muhammad V [9]

From the reign of Muhammad VI  [10]

From the time of Ahmad II, Muhammad VII and Muhammad VIII

The blasoning reads:

Arms: The standard of the bey being of four stripes red-green-red and green 1-3-1-1, charged with the dhu’l fakar proper.

Crest: A, crescent increscent and a five pointed star Or.

Order: The ribbon and jewel of the Order of the Blood, the ribbon Vert, edged Gules and charged with acanthus-leaves Or.

Supporters: A trophy of two cannon in saltire Or and six flags striped red, green, [red and green], their staffs crested with balls topped by crescents; and halberts, spears, bayoneted rifles and cleaning sticks in saltire Or.

Royaume Tunisienne

Kingdom of Tunisia

20.03.1956-1957

Soon after the establishment of the Kingdom a new achievement was adopted  which was called “The Arms of the Kingdom”.

Its consists of a shield showing a Punic ship, a lion armed with a sword, and a balance. These elements symbolize the motto Liberty, Order and Justice.

Two months later, the when the Order of the National Merit was transformed into the Order of Independence by decree of 13 September 1957 the jewel of  the Order was replaced accordingly. This did not have any consequence for the rendering of the arms. The decree reads:

Al Jumhuriayyah at Tunissiyah

République Tunisienne

25.07.1957-present

In 1963 the arms were changed by law. The shield became monochrome and the quarters in base were exchanged. The elements of the motto changed  places  from  “Liberté, Ordre, Justice” into “Ordre, Liberté, Justice” and was written on a ribbon placed between the chief and the base. This was done to meet the arab writing which is from right to left instead of from left to right. The external ornaments were removed but the national crest was maintained.

In 1989 the order of the motto was changed for the second time and became “Liberté-Ordre-Justice” again instead of  “Ordre, Liberté, Justice”.

Armed Forces

Beylical Armed Forces

As Tunisia was a (nominal) vassal of the Porte from 1574 until 1881, its army was de jure a part of  the Ottoman Army. This army had as its greater banner a large red flag charged with the dhu’l fakar and several crescent-and-stars, besides verses from the Q’uran.

The Tunisian beys were the commanders of the Tunisian troops and were invested with high Ottoman military ranks. At the end of the 18th century the bey’s held the rank of Amir al Umara (Major General) but the 9th and 10th Bey’s were promoted to the rank of Ferik (Lieutenant General). In 1840 the 11th bey was promoted to the rank of Müşir i Mufakham (Fieldmarshal) which was the highest rank in the Ottoman Army. Such a position was equal to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet of which the mark of distinction was a red flag charged with a white dhu’l fakar. The same rank was held by his successors until 1882. [13]

The Beylical Banner

It is, therefore, likely that the flag with the dhu’l fakar on the first beylical arms was adopted in 1840.

The development of the achievement, as described above, also shows the development of the beylical banner in the course of time. At first it a green, like the banner of Khayr al-Din, the captan-pasha of Algiers at the beginning of the 16th century. Later versions show striped banners, first with narrow (red) borders and later a banner striped of four breadths red and green, charged with the dhu’l fakar over all.

The famous multi-striped banner may have been designed even before the establishment of the Protectorate but no dated examples of such a flag from the Ottoman era have been found. Nor real banners seem to have been preserved.

An early representation: 7 stripes

From: Flags of  All Nations, 1915

13 stripes

From: Flags of  All Nations, 1950

9 stripes

The Achievement of the Beylical Armed Forces

From about the same time, that is to say from the time of Husayn Bey who introduced the red crescent increscent and star, is the achievement of the armed forces above the external door of the Bardo Palace. This shows a red shield placed on a trophy of arms, flags and cannon in saltire. If the present colours are correct we may suppose that the flags were the ensigns of the army and the navy, the red colour of the shield being the colour of the armed forces as an entity.

Some marks of distinction of the Beylical armed forces are given by Henri Hugon: [14]

Protectorate

11 ème Legion de Gendarmerie Departementale Tunisienne

Groupe Mobile de Securité en Tunisie

Modern Times

Armed Forces

Army

Navy

Air Force

National Guard