Siege of Tunis (1694)

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Siege of Tunis
Part of the Tunisian-Algerian War (1694)
DateAugust-November 1694 [1]
Location 36°48′23″N10°10′54″E / 36.80639°N 10.18167°E / 36.80639; 10.18167
Result Algerian victory
Territorial
changes
Tunis becomes a beylik of Algiers
Belligerents
Flag of Algiers.jpg Regency of Algiers Tunisian flag till 1831.svg Tunisia
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Algiers.jpg Hadj Chabane
Flag of Algiers.jpg Mohammed ben Cheker
Tunisian flag till 1831.svg Mohammed Bey
Strength

7,600 troops: [2]

  • 2,000 infantry
  • 2,000 cavalry
  • 400 janissaries
  • 3,200 other
15,000 infantry [3]
600 horses
Tunisia adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Siege of Tunis
Location within Tunisia

The siege of Tunis was a siege fought in 1694, between the Deylik of Algiers, and Muradid Tunis, during the Tunisian-Algerian War of 1694.

Contents

Background

The Tunisian prince Mohammed ben Cheker asked the dey of Algiers, at the time Hadj Chabane, [4] for help in order to make himself Bey of Tunis. The dey of Algiers accepted his proposal, invaded Tunisia in 1694, [5] and defeated the Tunisian army at the Battle of Kef on June 24. Chabane then marched on Tunis, where Mohammed Bey el-Mouradi took refuge after his defeat. [6] The goal of Chabane was to make Tunis a simple governorate (Beylik) in a similar fashion to the other Beyliks of Algeria, such as the Beylik of Constantine.

Siege

The Algerian army a arrived in front of Tunis in August and started the siege. Despite the efforts of the Tunisian defenders, Tunis fell after 3 months, and the Algerians plundered the city on 12 November 1694, and Tunis fell under the control of the Dey of Algiers, with administration by Chaabane Khodja and Ben Cheker. [7]

Ben Cheker became t he Bey of Tunis forcing Mohammed Bey el-Mouradi to flee to Chios or the Sahara. [8]

Aftermath

Mohammed Bey el-Mouradi fled to Chios or the Sahara and Ben Cheker reigned over Tunis for six months as a governor for Algiers, but his reign was tyrannical and led the Tunisians to appeal to Mohammed Bey el-Mouradi in exile The latter defeated Ben Cheker On May 1, 1695 at the Battle of Merguellil, near Kairouan, and made himself bey of Tunis again. [9]

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References

  1. Plantet, Eugène (1893). "Correspondance des Beys de Tunis et des consuls de France avec la Cour: 1577-1830".
  2. Plantet, Eugène (1893). "Correspondance des Beys de Tunis et des consuls de France avec la Cour: 1577-1830".
  3. Plantet, Eugène (1893). "Correspondance des Beys de Tunis et des consuls de France avec la Cour: 1577-1830".
  4. Mahfoud Kaddache, L'Algérie des Algériens, p. 411.
  5. Perkins, Kenneth J. (2016-10-12). Historical Dictionary of Tunisia. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   978-1-4422-7318-4.
  6. Delmas, Henri (1887). Histoire d'Alger sous la domination turque (1515-1830). Paris. p. 265.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. Alphonse Rousseau, Annales tunisiennes ou aperçu historique sur la régence de Tunis (Bastide, 1864)
  8. Guellouz, Azzedine; Smida, Mongi; Masmoudi, Abdelkader; Saadoui, Ahmed (2010). Histoire générale de la Tunisie (in French). Tunis. pp. 78–79. ISBN   978-9973-84-476-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. Plantet, Eugène (1893). Correspondance des Beys de Tunis et des consuls de France avec la Cour: 1577-1830 (in French). F. Alcan.