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Historical Summary
Chronological Timescale Prehistory and Protohistory

Circa 8000 BC: Caspian period, transition between Palaeolithic and Neolithic 814: Founding of Carthage according to legend V and IV C: Carthage, major Mediterranean power; IV C constant conflict with the Greek towns of Sicily

264-241: First war with Rome, Carthage loses Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia
241-237: Revolt by the Punic mercenaries
237-218: Carthage expands into Spain
218-201: Second Punic War; Carthage supplanted by Rome
Until 150 BC: Offensives by Massinissa, King of Numidia, against Carthage
149-146: 3rd Punic War, destruction of Carthage; its former territory is annexed to Rome
From 29BC: Under the reign of Augustus, creation of Proconsular Africa which was larger than the former province of Africa; rehabilitation of Carthage; start of systematic Roman colonization

Anno Domini
1st century: Total subjugation of Africa
2nd and start of 3rd century: Cultural highpoint and economic rise under Roman governorship (under Emperors of the Severin family 193-225). Spread of Christianity from the end of the 2nd century.
238: Revolt by Thysdrus, economic collapse, Numidian uprisings
4th century: The dominant religion, Christianity, officially permitted in 313, recognized in 380 as a state religion, dissension and religious schism.
439-553: Invasion of the Vandals
From 553: Byzantine domination

Under Arab Rule
647-665: First Arab reconnaissance campaigns in Tunisia
671: Kairouan founded by Oqba Ibn Nafaa
698: Carthage seized by the Arabs, prelude to the conquest of all Tunisia
8th century: Sporadic Arab domination, frequent Berber revolts
799-909: Under the Aghlabib dynasty, governors to the Abbasid caliphs of Damascas, cultural and economic growth; occupation of Sicily and southern Italy
909-973: Fatimid dynasty, adherents of Shiism; in 916 Mahdia replaces Kairouan as capital
944: Revolt instigated by Abou Yazid
973-1050: Zirid dynasty (former governors appointed by the Fatimids) proclaim independence; the line died out in the mid-9th century from 1051: Invasion by Beni Hilal, chaos and anarchy
1159-1207: Tunisia incorporated into the Almohad kingdom of Morocco
1207-1574: Hafsid dynasty (former Almohad governors); independent Kingdom of Tunisia from 1229
1249-1277: Under the reign of Al Mostansir, Hafsid emir, time of great prosperity, rise of Tunis, new capital, influx of Arabs fleeing from Andalucia
1270: Failure of Crusade and death of Louis IX, king of France, beneath the walls of Tunis
14th & 15th centuries: Internal problems to 1370, then a period of prosperity under the Hafsids; period of decline again towards the end of the 15th century
Beginning of 16th century 1535: Start of Hispano-Turkish antagonism in Mediterranean. Tunis taken by the Spanish (Hafsids retain nominal sovereignty), battles with Turkish pirates

Turkish Domination
1574: After Tunis is taken it is incorporated into the Ottoman Empire
1590: Revolt by the Janissaries, the Pachas are succeeded by the Deys at the head of the government
From 1609: New, major influx of Arabs fleeing from Andalucia; cultural and economic boom
1705: Hasain Bey founds the hereditary dynasty of Husainids (which continued until 1956); although a province of the Ottoman Empire, Tunisia is practically independent, prosperity reigns until 1750
To 1850: Increasing economic crisis, increasing financial dependence on colonial powers

The Protectorate
1881: French military contingent arrives in Tunisia, Bardo Treaty and installation of Protectorate
From 1900: Influx of French and Italian farmers, intensive settlement of the countryside
1956: Independence of Tunisia