Husainid dynasty


The Husainid dynasty was a ruling dynasty of the Beylik of Tunis, which was of Cretan Turkish origin. It came to power under al-Husayn I ibn Ali in 1705, succeeding the Muradid dynasty. After taking power, the Husainids ruled as Beys. Its succession to the throne was determined by agnatic seniority with the oldest member of the dynasty becoming Bey. The heir apparent to the Bey held the title Bey al-Mahalla. The Husainids originally ruled under the sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire. In 1881, with the Treaty of Bardo, Tunisia came under the control of France as a protectorate. 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.
Since June 2013, the current head of the dynasty is Prince Muhammad al-Habib Bey who is a grandson of Muhammad VI al-Habib.

Ruling heads of the dynasty