Hafsid dynasty

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The Hafsid dynasty (Arabic: الحفصيون, romanized: al-Ḥafṣiyūn) was a Sunni Muslim dynasty of Berber descent that ruled Ifriqiya (modern day Tunisia, western Libya, and eastern Algeria) from 1229 to 1574. The dynasty was founded by Abu Zakariya Yahya, who was initially appointed governor of the region by the Almohad caliph before declaring his independence. Under the reigns of Abu Zakariya and his successor, al-Mustansir (r. 1249–1277), the Hafsids consolidated and expanded their power, with Tunis as their capital. After al-Mustansir's death, internal conflicts resulted in a division between an eastern branch of the dynasty ruling from Tunis and a western branch ruling from Béjaïa and Constantine. A reunification took place under Abu Yahya Abu Bakr II (r. 1318–1346), but his death was followed by another crisis during which the Marinids, based in present-day Morocco, invaded briefly. Eventually, unity was re-established by Abu al-Abbas Ahmad II (r. 1370–1394), who inaugurated the apogee of...

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