Question Examine the social, political and economic impact of the Carthaginians in North Africa.

North Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to SubSaharan Africa. Geopolitically, Northern Africa includes six countries namely Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia. North Africa divided into two geographical regional, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya known as Maghrib, while Egypt and Sudan are referred to as Mashrik or Nile Valley. The distinction between North Africa and much of Sub-Saharan Africa is historically and ecologically significant because of the effective barrier created by the Sahara. Throughout history this barrier has culturally separated the North from large parts of the rest of the continent. As the maritime civilizations of the Phoenicians (Carthaginians), Greeks, Romans, Arabs and others facilitated communication and migration across the Mediterranean, the cultures of North Africa became much more closely tied to Southwestern Asia and Europe than Sub-Saharan Africa. The Islamic influence in the area is significant, and North Africa, along with Somalia, Djibouti and the Middle East, is also a part of the Arab World. Carthage (from Phoenician Cart-Hadasht means new city) was a Semitic civilization centered on the Phoenician city-state of Carthage, located in North Africa on the Gulf of Tunis, outside what is now Tunis, Tunisia. It was founded in 814 BC. In subsequent centuries Carthage became the center of the mighty empire that dominated most of Northern Africa and occasionally ruled the southern part of Iberian Peninsula, Sardinia and parts of Sicily. Carthaginians presence in North Africa brought some political, social and economic impacts in the region and vicinity areas which can be examined as follows: Growth and increase of population, the main influence was the introduction of many peoples of western Mediterranean particularly those of North Africa to the more advanced civilization of eastern Mediterranean. This part of Africa became more attractive part of the world where people from various parts of world entered to trade and other social activities due to favorite geographical location, fertile land, availability of water etc.

Agriculture, Carthage was fairly advanced in agriculture and was net exporter of grains and famous for horses, which exist in Arabian regions today. They practiced irrigation and crop rotation, up to its destruction, Carthage was surrounded by two rings of agricultural plantings. The inner ring for olives, fruit trees, grapes and vegetables. Outer ring was less dependent on irrigation for a vast wheat field. Koster, J (2011) Agricultural resources of northern Tunisia were first exploited by the Carthaginians and this was the foundation of the famous prosperity of the area in the Roman period. Masinissa and other chieftains, in the period of Carthaginian decline and immediately afterwards, encouraged the tendency towards the adoption of a settled agricultural economy by their subjects. Animal breeding was among of Carthaginians agricultural activities. They used animals for plows and the Carthaginians were the first people in history to use iron plows and use of manure. They initiated the technique of turning wheat and barley into flour around the Northern Africa. They pounded wheat after soaking into water and dry it into sun and put back to pestle. The added water may have prevented the mingling with stone grit with flour. This process was very remarkable unlike serious dental problem for the Egyptians who wore down their teeth because of stone particles mingled in flour during grain grinding using stones and backed in bread and cakes. (Ibid) Trade, Carthage is a prime example in the ancient world of a city whose wealth was based on trade. The empire existed to defend and was economically dependent on her trade. Voyages like that led by Hanno went south along the Atlantic coast of Morocco at least as far as Cape Verde apparently in gold searching. Trade with Greeks also occurred in the Aegean and in Sicily. Archaeological evidences shows of substantial imports of Greek world come from Carthage herself and from number of settlements within her empire. Surprisingly, Carthage did not issue its own coins until the 4th century BC, long after coinage had became established as a medium of exchange in the Greek world. The wealthy of Carthage were derived from her trade and exploitation of non Phoenician subjects was sufficient for her to be able to raise numerous large armies of mercenaries when the time arose. Didius and Curius (1998)

Urbanization, above all, town life on the Phoenician model began to spread among the people of North Africa often under the patronage of chieftains. It was in this basis that the rapid development of urbanization followed under the Romans; over 30 North African towns still uses the term suffetes for their chief magistrates as well as into Roman period. Development of writing skills, Phoenician alphabet (abjad) originated from the Proto-Canaanite script that also became the basis of Greek or Latin alphabets. The western Mediterranean area form of script to some extent different and more cursive letter shapes in 3rd century. It began to exhibit a tendency to mark the presence of vowels especially final vowels with an aleph or sometimes ayin. Lastly Punic writers implemented system of marking of vowels by use of consonantal letters. Boateng (1978) Religion, the Carthaginians religion in North Africa was a continuation of polytheistic Phoenician religion. The system was headed by male deity Baal who was a dominant in some cultures of east. The sacrifice of infants to Baal Hammon continued with fluctuations until the last period of Carthage. However, it was never the norm and appears to have only occurred during periods of great crisis. The burned bones of infants were buried in urns, the sites frequently marked by inscribed stelae. Sanctuaries can be found at Carthage and elsewhere in her empire in North Africa, Sicily and Sardinia. Mokhtar (1990) The system of gods and goddesses in Phoenician religion also influenced many other cultures in North Africa. There were too many similarities to be overlooked. In some instances the names of gods underwent very little change when they borrowed. Even the legends mentioned major similarities of gods of Egyptians and some places had their influences on the Phoenicians faith as well as borrowing from them. Wikipedia Politically, The African lands near to the city faced the harshest control measures, with Carthaginian officers administering the area and Punic troops garrisoning the cities. Many cities had to destroy their defensive walls, while the Libyans living in the area had few rights. The Libyans could own land but had to pay an annual tribute (50% of agricultural produce and 25% of their town income) and serve in the Carthaginian armies as conscripts.

Other Phoenician cities (Like Leptis Magna) paid an annual tribute and ran their own internal affairs, retained their defensive walls but had no independent foreign policy. Other cities had to provide personnel for the Punic army and the Punic navy along with tribute but retained internal autonomy. Allies like Utica and Gades were more independent and had their own government. Carthage stationed troops and some type of central administration in Sardinia and Iberia to control her domain. The cities, in return for surrendering these privileges, obtained Carthaginian protection, which provided the fleet to combat piracy and fought wars needed to protect these cities from external threats. (Ibid) Carthaginian citizenship was more exclusive, and the goal of the state was more focused on protecting the trade infrastructure than expanding the citizen body. This contrasts with the Roman Republic, which in the course of her wars created an alliance system in Italy that expanded her lands and also expanded her citizen body and military manpower by adding allies (with varying degrees of political rights). Carthage, while she continued to expand until 218 BC, did not have a similar system to increase her citizen numbers. She had treaties in place with various Punic and non-Punic cities (the most famous and well known ones being the ones with Rome), detailing the rights of each power and their sphere of influence. The Punic cities not under direct Carthaginian control probably had similar treaties in place. The Libya-Phoenicians, who lived in the African domain controlled by Carthage, also had rights similar to those of Carthaginian citizens. (Ibid) Carthaginian citizens were exempt from taxation and were primarily involved in commerce as traders or industrial workers. As a result, Carthage, unlike the other agricultural nations, could not afford to have her citizens serve in a long war, as it diminished her commercial activities. The reign of Kings, Carthage was initially ruled by kings, who were elected by the Carthaginian "senate" and served for a specific time period. The election took place in Carthage, and the kings at first were war leaders, civic administrators and performed certain religious duties. Kings were elected on merit, not by the people but by the senate, and the post was not hereditary. However, the crown and military commands could also be purchased by the highest bidder. Initially these kings may have enjoyed near absolute power, which was curtailed as Carthage moved towards a

more democratic government. Gradually, military command fell to professional officers, and a pair of suffetes replaced the king in some of the civic functions and eventually kings were no longer elected. (Ibid) Conclusively, Carthage was destroyed in the third Punic war fought in 149-146BC; Romans marked the end of Carthaginian rule in North Africa. Yet Carthage did arise again, however this time as a Roman colony. Gaius Gracchus in 123 BC established it as the first Roman colony of Italian soil. However, it was not until further efforts were made by Julius Caesar that the place began to prosper. And it would take until the control of emperor Augustus for it become a city again.

References
Boateng, E.A (1978). A political geography of Africa. England, Cambridge University Press.

Coaster, J (2011). Mago: father of farming. Retrieved on 10/12/2012, 15:25 from http://www.mofga.org/Publications/MaineOrganicFarmerGarderner/Winter20112 012/Mago/tabid/2050/Default.aspx

Didius, T & Curius, P (1998). Long term influence of Carthaginian Empire. Retrieved on 11/12/2012, 09:39 from http://cornellia.fws1.com/Ancientwoorlds/Carthage.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Carthage#mw-head

Mokhtar, G (1990). UNESCO General History of Africa. California, University of California Press