Abstract
The purpose of this research is to establish a better knowledge off the Merchant community in Tunis during the Ottoman rule and to analyse the ways of getting rich as well as the replication mechanisms within this social group. As a first step, we tried to go beyond the anonymous approach that expressions such as "merchant families" or "merchant communities" may initially suggest. We have, therefore, set up a series of merchants' profiles and traced their activities and destinies. From the omnipresent ordinary merchants from European origin (more frequently encountered in the 17th century), to the mamelouks (more visible after 1750); as well as to the merchant farmers, the merchant world appears numerous, multiple and dynamic. As a second step, we have tried to identify the activities leading to the enrichment off certain merchants, as well as the procedures used to preserve their wealth. Foreign trade, and related monopolies as well as commercial credit appear to be the most yielding areas in making money. Furthermore, it would be noted that merchants' wealth, if not acquired through privileges granted by the State, was not necessarily threatened by the latter. In order to avoid incurring the risk of such arbitrary actions merchants resorted to the habous institution, secure investments and matrimonial alliances. Thus the existence or absence of a merchant bourgeoisie is neither dependent on the State or autonomous from it. Self initiative remains the key element to the merchants' wealth. The Tunisian case does not seem to be unique in the Ottoman world.