Abu Abdallah Muhammad V al-Hasan (), often called “Moulay Hasan” and sometimes “Muleasses” in 16th century writings, was the

Hafsid The Hafsid dynasty ( ) was a Sunni Muslim dynasty of Berber descentC. Magbaily Fyle, ''Introduction to the History of African Civilization: Precolonial Africa'', (University Press of America, 1999), 84. that ruled Ifriqiya (modern day Tunisia, w ...

caliph A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

of Tunis from 1526 to 1543.

Succession struggles

His father Abu Abdallah Muhammad IV al-Mutawakkil had originally intended for his oldest son to succeed him, but his wife prevailed on him to name Abu Abdallah Muhammad instead. As soon as he assumed power, Abu Abdallah Muhammad had most of his brothers and other family members executed, although his brother Rashid was able to flee to

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

where he took refuge with

Hayreddin Barbarossa Hayreddin Barbarossa (, original name: Khiḍr; ), also known as Hayreddin Pasha, Hızır Hayrettin Pasha, and simply Hızır Reis (c. 1466/1483 – 4 July 1546), was an Ottoman corsair and later admiral of the Ottoman Navy. Barbarossa's ...

. In 1531 Abu Abdallah Muhammad sent an embassy to

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...

in an attempt to secure Ottoman support against Hayreddin Barbarossa, but it did not meet with a friendly reception and the Ottoman ruler promptly directed Hayreddin to take Tunis.

Invasion of 1534

On August 19, 1534, Barbarossa anchored off

La Goulette La Goulette (, ), in Arabic Halq al-Wadi ( '), is a municipality and the port of Tunis, Tunisia. La Goulette is located at around on a sandbar between Lake of Tunis, Lake Tūnis and the Gulf of Tunis. The port, located 12km east of Tunis, is th ...

with a fleet and announced that he had come to restore Rashid to the throne. As soon as the people of Tunis learned of this news, they stormed the palaces of Abu Abdallah Muhammad who barely had time to flee. A delegation of notables then went to La Goulette to receive Rashid but Barbarossa landed 9,000 men, seized the

Kasbah A kasbah (, also ; , , Maghrebi Arabic: ), also spelled qasbah, qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the citadel or fortified quarter of a city. It is also equivalent to the term in Spanish (), which is derived from the same ...

and proclaimed Suleiman the Magnificent as rightful ruler of Tunis. Abu Abdallah Muhammad then sought assistance from

Emperor Charles V Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) fr ...

to regain his throne. Charles, fearing increased Corsair attacks on the coasts of Spain and Italy, equipped a fleet of 400 vessels under

Andrea Doria Andrea Doria, Prince of Melfi (; ; 30 November 146625 November 1560) was an Italian statesman, ', and admiral, who played a key role in the Republic of Genoa during his lifetime. From 1528 until his death, Doria exercised a predominant influe ...

to retake Tunis and led the campaign himself.

Invasion of 1535 and dependency on Spain

The Christian force succeeded in driving Hayreddin out and he fled back to Algiers. Abu Abdallah Muhammad was restored to the throne. He was obliged to sign a treaty, dated 5 August 1535, acknowledging that he held his crown as a vassal of Spain, and agreeing to pay for the cost of a Spanish garrison in La Goulette as well as regular tribute. In 1537 a number of Tunisian cities, including

Sousse Sousse, Sūsah , or Soussa (, ), is a city in Tunisia, capital of the Sousse Governorate. Located south of the capital Tunis, the city has 271,428 inhabitants (2014). Sousse is in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf of Hammamet, which ...

and

Kairouan Kairouan (, ), also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan ( , ), is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by the Umayyads around 670, in the period of Caliph Mu'awiya (reigned 661� ...

rebelled against Abu Abdallah Muhammad. A fresh appeal to

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

brought a force from Sicily which was not however successful in defeating the rebellion. In 1539 a new fleet under

restored a number of rebel towns to the caliph's rule, including Kelibia,

Sfax Sfax ( ; , ) is a major port city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD849 on the ruins of Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014), and a Mediterranean port. Sfax has a ...

, Sousse and Monastir, where a Spanish garrison was left. As soon as that garrison was withdrawn in 1540, the coastal towns revolted again, and this time they placed themselves under the protection of

Dragut Dragut (; 1485 – 23 June 1565) was an Ottoman corsair, naval commander, governor, and noble. Under his command, the Ottoman Empire's maritime power was extended across North Africa. Recognized for his military genius, and as being among "the ...

Overthrow and exile

In 1542 Abu Abdallah Muhammad set sail for Italy, intending to gather weapons and munitions. During his absence his son

Ahmad Ahmad () is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other English spellings of the name include Ahmed. It is also used as a surname. Etymology The word derives from the root ( ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from ...

rebelled, declaring that his father was intending to become a Christian and hand the country over to the Spanish. Abu Abdallah Muhammad returned to Tunis in the company of a mercenary, Giovanni Battista Lofredi, but he was captured by Ahmad. Given the choice between execution and blinding, he opted for blinding and went into exile. After spending several years in Naples and Sicily, in 1548 Abu Abdallah Muhammad travelled to Augsburg to meet Charles V and he was also received by

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...

. He died while on a new expedition with Andrea Doria to take Mahdia in 1549.

Legacy

Because of his colourful life, his links to Christian rulers and his time in exile in Europe, Abu Abdallah Muhammad was well known to European historians of his own time and following periods. Various anecdotes were recounted about him, many apocryphal, emphasising his moral failings. His life was described in works such as ''The General History of the Turks'' by Richard Knolles, which described him as “a man of insatiable Covetousness, unstaied Lust, horrible Cruelty, hated both of God and Man; who having by Treachery slain eighteen of his Brethren, or that which worse is, cruelly burnt out their Eyes, doth so reign alone, that he hath left him neither Kinsman nor Friend.” Knolles also translated another work that mentioned him, ''The six bookes of a common-weale'' by

Jean Bodin Jean Bodin (; ; – 1596) was a French jurist and political philosopher, member of the Parlement of Paris and professor of law in Toulouse. Bodin lived during the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation and wrote against the background of reli ...

who asked: “And why in our time was Muleasses thrust out of his kingdome, and so lost his estate, but for intemperance? and yet neverthelesse was so drowned in delights, as that returning out of Germanie, without hope that the emperour Charles the fift (in whom his greatest trust was) would afford him any aid, and banished as he was out of his kingdom, yet spent he an hundred crowns upon the dressing of one peacock, as Paulus Ioui∣us reporteth... yet such was the judgement of God upon him, as that by the commaundement of his sonnes he had his eyes put out with an hot barre of Iron, by little and little drying up the humors of them, and deprived of his kingdome also.” In 1607 or 1608 a play was produced in London, written by John Mason with the title ''An Excellent Tragedy of Mulleasses the Turke, and Borgias Governour of Florence''. The eponymous character may have been created drawing from the characteristics said to have been possessed by the historical Abu Abdallah Muhammad, but the plot bears no relationship to his life. There is a painted portrait of “Muleasses the Turk” by a 17th-century Italian artist, which identifies him as “king of Tunis”.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abu Abdallah Muhammad 05 al-Hasan 16th-century Hafsid caliphs 1549 deaths Year of birth unknown