Series ‘C’ is the result of the division of habous into the “Section d’Etat”. It concerns the records relating to public habous (endowments) and to the relation with the “Jamiya des Aouquef ’’ (body responsible for the administration of public habous). This administration, founded by Prime Minister ‘‘Kheireddine ” in 1874, had as a task to look after the public habous, their management and safeguard. It disappeared with the abolition of the habous institution in 1957.

Series “C” numbers about 47.8 linear metres, and is composed of a variety of records : decrees, circulars, rent receipts, correspondences, petitions, minutes, staff administration files…

This fonds relates to three basic subjects :
- records relating to the management of the habous administration, its accountancy, officers and the habous managers in the country ;
- landed property affairs, notably those concerned with the exploitation of public habous in its various forms (lands and endowed immovable property) for the benefit of religious institutions by means of “enzel” (rent perpetuity) or barter.
- files relating to the habous of the two Holy Places : (Mecca and Medina). These are considered as among then most important with regard to their value and key position within the habous system. The “Sorra” makes part of this system. It is, in fact, an amount of money, extracted from the habous revenues, sent yearly to the Holy Places during the pilgrimage time to be distributed among the ‘‘Cherifs’’ and deserving people.

Series “C” records comprise detailed and extremely important information relating to the landed property question in Tunisia in general and to the possessions of benevolent
and religious institutions in specific. They are as well informative on the social and cultural role public habous played under the direction of the public habous administration.

After the suppression of the habous system in 1957, several documents relating to the habous and the “Jamiya” were gathered within the Ministry of Finance and then in the Ministry of the State Administered Property and Landed Property Affairs.

Moreover, a commission was established in each governorate. It was charged with the abolition of the habous system and the collection of relevant records.
Hence, the habous fonds available at the above-mentioned Ministry makes up a valuable completion to series “C”.