Hafsids and Habsburgs in the Early Modern Mediterranean: Facing Tunis

This book explores an anonymous sixteenth-century portrait of Muley al-Hassan, the Hafsid king of Tunis, and how it sheds light on relations between North Africa, the Habsburgs, and the Ottomans. It shows how portraits of Hafsid rulers challenge assumptions about the absolute divide between Christian and Muslim, sovereign and subject, and the familiar and the foreign, and put a face on the entangled histories of the early modern Mediterranean.

Format: Hardback
Length: 313 pages
Publication date: 25 November 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This captivating book delves into an enigmatic sixteenth-century portrait of Muley al-Hassan, the Hafsid king of Tunis (circa 1528-1550). While Muley al-Hassan's presence in the extensive literature on Charles V Habsburg may be overshadowed by the emperor, here he emerges as a central protagonist, a figure whose shifting reputation extends well into the seventeenth century. Images of the King of Tunis permeated various forms of media, including broadsheets, ephemeral illustrations created for triumphant entries, manuscripts, tapestry designs, engravings, and books. The relentless production of Tunisian imagery facilitated a unique opportunity for Europeans to engage with their North African counterparts through both realistic battle scenes and imaginative encounters, as well as festive cross-dressing.

Through the examination of these portraits, the book challenges prevailing assumptions about the rigid divide between Christian and Muslim, sovereign and subject, the familiar and the foreign, and sheds light on the intricate and interconnected histories of the early modern Mediterranean. The portrait of Muley al-Hassan serves as a poignant window into the complex web of relationships and cultural exchanges that characterized this pivotal period, highlighting the nuanced and multifaceted nature of the early modern world.

Weight: 558g
Dimension: 154 x 217 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031050787
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022