Husainid dynasty

Husainid dynasty
CountryBeylik of Tunis
Kingdom of Tunisia
Founded15 July 1705
FounderHussein I
Current headMuhammad XI Habib
Final rulerMuhammad VIII al-Amin
TitlesBey, King of Tunisia
Deposition25 July 1957

The Husainid dynasty or Husaynid dynasty (Arabic: الحسينيون) was a ruling Turkish dynasty of the Beylik of Tunis. The dynasty was of Greek origin from the island of Crete.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] It came to power under al-Husayn I ibn Ali in 1705, succeeding the Muradid dynasty. After taking power, the Husainids ruled as Beys and ruled Tunisia until 1957.[4]

The Husainids originally ruled under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman sultans officially regarded them as beylerbeyis (provincial governors) and recognized their rights to hereditary succession.[1] Their succession to the throne was in theory determined by male primogeniture,[1][8] but this was not always followed and, especially in later periods, the throne was often granted to an older male family member along the collateral branches of the family.[1] The heir apparent to the Bey held the title Bey al-Mahalla and led the mahalla, a biannual tax collection expedition around the country.[9]

History

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After Husayn I ibn Ali was granted the title of beylerbeyi by Sultan Ahmed III in 1705, the Husaynid beys ruled with effective independence from the Ottomans, even going so far as to form separate diplomatic agreements with European powers such as France, England, and the Italian states.[1] Their independence was strengthened in the 19th century, especially after Hammuda Pasha suppressed the local Janissary Corps in 1811 after a revolt.[1][8] Nonetheless, they were able to retain advantageous relations with the Ottomans, sometimes requesting protection from them and at other times sending troops to assist in Ottoman wars.[1]

Under the reigns of Ahmed I Bey (r. 1837–1855), Muhammad II Bey (r. 1855–1859), and Muhammad III as-Sadiq (r. 1859–1882), efforts were made at significant reforms.[8] In 1845, with French support, Ahmad I Bey ended the regular payments of tribute to Istanbul, but continued to receive the official titles of wali and mushir and to maintain a semblance of Ottoman authority.[1][8] Ahmad also abolished slavery and removed the statutes that kept Tunisian Jews legally inferior. The abolition of the slave trade and the commission of major public works incurred large debts, which were mainly held by European (especially French) interests and businessmen.[8] On 10 September 1857, Muhammad II Bey enacted the "Fundamental Pact" (Arabic: عهد الأمان, romanized'Ahd al-Amān, lit.'Security Covenant'), modeled on the Ottoman Tanzimat reforms.[8][10] In 1861 Muhammad III as-Sadiq promulgated a new constitution which transformed Tunisia into a constitutional monarchy, with a legislative assembly.[8] The state's financial situation worsened, however, which led to raised taxes, rebellions, and larger debts. In 1869 Muhammad as-Sadiq was forced to consent to the creation of an "international financial commission" (composed of Tunisia, France, England and Italy) that oversaw management of the country's debt.[8][1]

French intervention and pressure continued to increase. In 1881, following a French invasion and occupation, the Treaty of Bardo was signed and Tunisia came under the control of France as a protectorate.[8] Following independence from France on 20 March 1956, the Bey Muhammad VIII al-Amin assumed the title of King and reigned as such until the Prime Minister Habib Bourguiba deposed the dynasty and declared Tunisia a republic on 25 July 1957.[11]

Since June 2013, the current head of the dynasty is Prince Muhammad al-Habib Bey (born 1929), who is a grandson of Muhammad VI al-Habib.[citation needed]

Ruling heads of the dynasty

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Non ruling heads of the dynasty

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Family tree

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  • Sidi Ali al-Turki (d. 1676)
    • Muhammad (c. 1665-1735)
      • II. Ali I (1688-1756; r. 1735-1756)
    • I. Hussein I (1675-1740; r. 1705-1735)
      • III. Muhammad I (1710-1759; r. 1756-1759)
        • VII. Mahmud I (1757-1824; r. 1814-1824)
          • VIII. Hussein II (1784-1835; r. 1824-1835)
            • XI. Muhammad II (1811-1859; r. 1855-1859)
              • Prince Hussein Bey (1839-1890)
                • Prince Muhammad as-Said Bey (1873-1918)
                  • XXI. Mustafa II (1900-1974; family head: 1969-1974)
              • XV. Muhammad V (1855-1922; r. 1906-1922)
                • XVIII. Muhammad VII (1881-1948; r. 1942-1943)
                  • Prince Salah ud-din Bey (1902-1938)
                    • Crown Prince Zainal-Abidin (b. 1930)
                • XX. Hussein III (1893-1969; Crown Prince: 1943–1957; family head: 1962-1969)
                • Prince Muhammad Bey (1897-1953)
                  • XXVII. Muhammad X (1928-2013; family head: 2006-2013)
            • XII. Muhammad III (1813-1882; r. 1859-1882)
            • XIII. Ali III (1817-1902; r. 1882-1902)
              • Prince Mustafa Bey (1844-1895)
                • Prince Iz ud-din Bey (1882-1953)
                  • XXIII. Suleiman I (1909-1992; family head: 1989-1992)
                  • XXIV. Al'Allah I (1910-2001; family head: 1992-2001)
                  • XXVI. Muhi ud-din I (1911-2006; family head: 2004-2006)
              • XIV. Muhammad IV (1855-1906; r. 1902-1906)
              • XVII. Ahmad II (1862-1942; r. 1929-1942)
                • XXII. Muhammad IX (1902-1989; family head: 1974-1989)
            • Prince Muhammad Mamun Bey (1819-1861)
              • XVI. Muhammad VI (1858-1929; r. 1922-1929)
                • Prince Muhammad Iz ud-din Bey (1875-1931)
                  • XXVIII. Muhammad XI (b. 1929; family head: 2013-present)
                • XIX. Muhammad VIII (1881-1962; r. 1943–1957; family head: 1957-1962)
                  • XXV. Shazli I (1910-2004; family head: 2001-2004)
          • IX. Mustafa I (1786-1837; r. 1835-1837)
            • X. Ahmad I (1806-1855; r. 1837-1855)
      • IV. Ali II (1712-1782; r. 1759-1782)
        • V. Hammud I (1759-1814; r. 1782-1814)
        • VI. Uthman I (1763-1814; r. 1814)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bosworth, Clifford Edmund (1996). "The Husaynid Beys". The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 55–56. ISBN 9780748696482.
  2. ^ Prokhorov, Aleksandr Mikhaĭlovich (1973). Great Soviet Encyclopedia. Macmillan. p. 531. The Husaynid dynasty was founded by al-Husayn ibn Ali, a Turkish officer of Greek origin.
  3. ^ Clancy-Smith, Julia Ann (2011). Mediterraneans: North Africa and Europe in an Age of Migration, C. 1800-1900. University of California Press. p. 699. ISBN 978-0-520-25923-2. In his speeches, Bourgouiba frequently claimed that the Husaynids...were not really Tunisians, often referring to them as Greeks.
  4. ^ a b Choueiri, Youssef (2013-10-08). Modern Arab Historiography: Historical Discourse and the Nation-State. Routledge. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-136-86869-6. The dynasty of the Husaynids, founded by Husayn Ibn 'All, an Ottoman agha of Greek origin, ruled Tunisia until 1957 when, after independence, it was abolished and a republic was announced.
  5. ^ Tucker, Judith E. (2019). The Making of the Modern Mediterranean: Views from the South. University of California Press. pp. 40–41. ISBN 978-0-520-97320-6. Founded by the son of a Muslim from Venetian-ruled and subsequently Ottoman-controlled Crete, the Husaynid dynasty (1705-1957) mirrored the larger play of trans-Mediterranean politics for two and a half centuries.
  6. ^ Brown, L. Carl (2015). The Tunisia of Ahmad Bey, 1837-1855. Princeton University Press. pp. 29–30. ISBN 978-1-4008-4784-6.
  7. ^ Abun-Nasr, Jamil M. (1987). A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period. Cambridge University Press. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-521-33767-0.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mantran, R. (1960–2007). "Ḥusaynids". In Bearman, P.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C.E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W.P. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Brill. ISBN 9789004161214.
  9. ^ Brown, Leon Carl (2015). The Tunisia of Ahmad Bey, 1837-1855. Princeton University Press. pp. 72, 128. ISBN 978-1-4008-4784-6.
  10. ^ Tsur, Yaron (2010). "'Ahd al-Amān". In Stillman, Norman A. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World. Brill. ISBN 9789004161214.
  11. ^ Abun-Nasr, Jamil (1987). A history of the Maghrib in the Islamic period. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 368. ISBN 0521337674.
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