The Abolition of Slavery in Ottoman Tunisia

Appendix C: The Final Abolition of Slavery, 1846

Appendix C The Final Abolition of Slavery, 1846 DOCUMENT 1 Ahmad Bey to Sir Thomas Reade, enclosure to dispatch reporting the total abolition of Slavery in Tunisian Dominions, FO 84/648, NA, Kew From the Bey of Tunis to Sir Thomas Reade 25 Moharram al-Karim/1262, (22 January 1846) From the servant of God, the Mushir Ahmad Bey, Prince of the Tunisian Dominions To our ally Sir Thomas Reade, Consul General for the British Government at Tunis Whereas, our aversion of the thraldom imposed on the Human kind, which debases it to the condition of the brute creation is well known to you, having conversed together on this matter. Our attention has been directed to the suppression of this traffic, as well as to its total abolition with a due regard however to the interests of our subjects, so as not to cause them a loss of property. We commenced first by prohibiting their embarkation for countries as objects of commerce, as we wrote to you on the 9th Rabih 1st 1257. Subsequently to which we sent orders to the places situated on the road of the caravans carrying from Godemes (Ghadames) not to permit any person to enter our territory with any slave as an article of sale; and should any refuse to do so, and not return, the slave should be liberated to his loss, conformably to what we informed you on the 17th Rabih 1258. We afterwards abolished the market established for their sale in our capital (thus giving up the revenue which our Government reaped from it), declared all slaves that should enter our Kingdom by land or by sea, should The Final Abolition of Slavery, 1846 · 155 be free, and further ordered that everyone born a slave on our Dominions should be considered as free, from the very instant of its birth; and that he could neither be sold or brought as we informed you thereof on the 6th Dhul ka’da 1258. Our resolution was likewise strengthened and we felt a real satisfaction all the accord which existed between our sentiments and those expressed by the Anti-Slavery Society which ennobles itself by upholding the dignity of mankind, in the letter which we answered on Rabih 1st 1258. This affair never ceased to be the object of our attention as well as the central point of our consideration, and we have thought proper to publish that we have abolished slavery in all our Dominions; for we consider all slaves existing in our territory as being free, and no not recognize the legality of their being kept as a property. We have sent some notaries to the Sanctuary of Sidy Mahrez in town and to the sanctuary of zawiya al-boukria in the suburb of Bab al-Suwaika, as well as in that of Sidy Monsour in the suburb of Bab al-Djezirah, with the object of writing in favor of each of such slaves as should present themselves to them, a document constituting them free on our part, and which (document ) shall be presented to us for the apposition of the seal, and no right of property on their persons shall be alleged by their masters. We have likewise sent the necessary orders to all the governors in Our Tunisian Kingdom, and having determined on writing a circular to all the consuls of friendly Governments in our capital you shall equally with them receive a copy of such circular. We hastened to forward to you this letter, for you to know our sentiments and what we spoke together on the subject. We thank providence for the aid it has afforded us in putting an end to this business, which we know is also an object of attention to the Great and illustrious British Government; and we pray the most High that our opinions be always in unison with their own in every point. May the Lord keep you in his safeguard! 25th Muharram al-Karim 1262. (22nd January 1846) DOCUMENT 2 Circular Letter addressed by Ahmad Bey to all consuls announcing to them the abolition of slavery throughout his Dominions, FO 84/648, NA, Kew 24 January 1846 From the servant of God, the Mushir Ahmed Basha Bey, prince of the Tunisian Dominions to our ally, Sir Thomas Reade, Consular general of the 156 · Appendix C British Government at Tunis. The servitude imposed on a part of the human kind whom...