Beni Hassan
Encyclopedia
Beni Ḥassān were a nomadic group of Arabian origin, one of the four sub-tribes of the Maqil
Arab
ian tribe
s who emigrated in the 11th century to the Maghreb
with the Bani Hilal and Banu Sulaym Arabs.. They originally lived with their Maqil
relatives in the area between Tadla, Moulouiya River. The Sous
Almohad
governor called upon them for help against a rebellion in the Sous and they resettled to in and around that region.
The Beni Hassan and other warrior Arab tribes managed to establish their dominance over the Sanhaja
Berber
tribes of the area, and after the Char Bouba war
of the 17th century. As a result, Arab culture and language came to dominate, and the Berber tribes were more or less arabized
. The Bani Hassan's dialect of Arabic thus became the tongue of the region, and is still spoken in the form of Hassaniya
Arabic.
Beni Hassan were descendents of the Maqil
, an Arabian tribe whose exact origin in unknown and subject to debate, but they likely were originally from Yemen. Beni Hassan included:
Several other Arabian tribes joined the Maqils and became part of the Beni Hassan tribe.
Many descendants of the Beni Hassan tribes today still adhere to the supremacist ideology of their ancestors. This ideology has led to oppression, discrimination and even enslavement of other groups in the region of Mauritania and Western Sahara.
There is also a Beni Hassan tribe in Jordan
whose territory stretches to Mafraq
, Zarqa
, Irbid
, Jerash
and Hamamah.
Maqil
The Maqil were an Arabian nomadic tribe that emigrated to the Maghreb region, with the Banu Hillal and Banu Sulaym tribes, in the 11th century. They mainly settled in and around Morocco's Saharan wolds and oases; in Tafilalet, Wad Nun , Draa and Taourirt...
Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
ian tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
s who emigrated in the 11th century to the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
with the Bani Hilal and Banu Sulaym Arabs.. They originally lived with their Maqil
Maqil
The Maqil were an Arabian nomadic tribe that emigrated to the Maghreb region, with the Banu Hillal and Banu Sulaym tribes, in the 11th century. They mainly settled in and around Morocco's Saharan wolds and oases; in Tafilalet, Wad Nun , Draa and Taourirt...
relatives in the area between Tadla, Moulouiya River. The Sous
Sous
The Sous or Souss is a region in southern Morocco. Geologically, it is the alluvial basin of the Oued Sous , separated from the Sahara by the Anti-Atlas Mountains...
Almohad
Almohad
The Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
governor called upon them for help against a rebellion in the Sous and they resettled to in and around that region.
The Beni Hassan and other warrior Arab tribes managed to establish their dominance over the Sanhaja
Sanhaja
The Sanhaja or Senhaja were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations of the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and Masmuda...
Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
tribes of the area, and after the Char Bouba war
Char Bouba war
The Char Bouba war or the Mauritanian Thirty Years War, took place between 1644-74 in the tribal areas of what is today Mauritania and Western Sahara...
of the 17th century. As a result, Arab culture and language came to dominate, and the Berber tribes were more or less arabized
Arabization
Arabization or Arabisation describes a growing cultural influence on a non-Arab area that gradually changes into one that speaks Arabic and/or incorporates Arab culture...
. The Bani Hassan's dialect of Arabic thus became the tongue of the region, and is still spoken in the form of Hassaniya
Hassaniya
Hassānīya is the variety of Arabic originally spoken by the Beni Hassān Bedouin tribes, who extended their authority over most of Mauritania and the Western Sahara between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. It has almost completely replaced the Berber languages spoken in this region...
Arabic.
Beni Hassan were descendents of the Maqil
Maqil
The Maqil were an Arabian nomadic tribe that emigrated to the Maghreb region, with the Banu Hillal and Banu Sulaym tribes, in the 11th century. They mainly settled in and around Morocco's Saharan wolds and oases; in Tafilalet, Wad Nun , Draa and Taourirt...
, an Arabian tribe whose exact origin in unknown and subject to debate, but they likely were originally from Yemen. Beni Hassan included:
- The descendents of Hasan ben Mokhtar ben Mohamed son of the forefather of the Maqils.
- The Shebanat: descendents of Shebana, brother of Hassan, and son of Mokhtar ben Mohamed
- The Reguitat: descendents of Jallal, Salem and Uthman, brothers of Mokhtar and sons of Mohamed.
Several other Arabian tribes joined the Maqils and became part of the Beni Hassan tribe.
Many descendants of the Beni Hassan tribes today still adhere to the supremacist ideology of their ancestors. This ideology has led to oppression, discrimination and even enslavement of other groups in the region of Mauritania and Western Sahara.
There is also a Beni Hassan tribe in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
whose territory stretches to Mafraq
Mafraq
Mafraq is the capital city of Mafraq Governorate, Jordan, located 80 Km to the north from the Jordanian capital Amman in crossroad to Syria to the north and Iraq to the east. It has 58,954 inhabitants...
, Zarqa
Zarqa
Az-Zarqāʔ is a city in Jordan located to the northeast of Amman. With a population of more than one million 1000,000. It is the country's second largest city after Amman. Zarqa is the capital of Zarqa Governorate . Its name means "the blue one".- Overview :Zarqa is Jordan's industrial centre, home...
, Irbid
Irbid
Irbid , known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela , is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 660,000, and is located about 70 km north of Amman on the northern ridge of...
, Jerash
Jerash
Jerash, the Gerasa of Antiquity, is the capital and largest city of Jerash Governorate , which is situated in the north of Jordan, north of the capital Amman towards Syria...
and Hamamah.
Ref
- Almsaodi, Abdulaziz. Modern History of Yemen
- Power and Interest News Report