Editing Muhammad VI al-Habib

{{Short description|Bey of Tunis from 1922 to 1929}}
{{Infobox royalty
| title        = 
| name         = Muhammad VI al-Habib
| image        = Habib Bey.jpg
| caption      = 
| succession   = [[Bey of Tunis]]
| reign1       = {{nowrap|8 July 1922 – 13 February 1929}}
| predecessor1 = [[Muhammad V an-Nasir]]
| successor1   = [[Ahmad II of Tunis]]
| spouse       = 
| issue        = [[Muhammad al-Amin]]<br>Sidi Mohamed<br>Azzedine Bey<br>Sidi Mohamed Salah Bey<br>Lalla
Hallouma<br>Lalla Fatima
| house        = [[Husainid Dynasty|Husainides]]
| house-type   = Dynasty
| father       = [[Sidi Mohamed el-Mamoune Bey]]
| mother       = 
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1858|8|13|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Le Bardo]], [[Beylik of Tunis]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1929|2|13|1858|8|13|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[:fr:Palais Zarrouk|Zarrouk Palace]], [[Carthage (municipality)|Carthage]], [[Beylik of Tunis]]
| place of burial    = [[Tourbet el Bey]], [[Tunis]], Tunisia
| religion     = [[Islam]]|
}}

'''Muhammad VI al-Habib''' ({{langx|ar|محمد السادس الحبيب}}), commonly known as '''Habib Bey''' ({{langx|ar|الحبيب باي}} ; 13 August 1858 in [[Le Bardo]] – 13 February 1929 in [[Carthage]])<ref>Arthur Pellegrin, ''Histoire de la Tunisie depuis les origines jusqu'à nos jours'', éd. La Rapide, Tunis, 1944, p. 175</ref> was the sixteenth [[Husainid dynasty|Husainid]] [[List of Beys of Tunis|Bey]] of [[Beylik of Tunis|Tunis]], reigning from 10 July 1922 until 11 February 1929.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

His father was Mohamed el-Mamoune Bey, the younger child of Hassine II Bey who had died young in 1861 without ruling when Habib was only three years old, and his mother was a [[Circassians|Circassian]] [[odalisque]] named Fatma.  His uncle [[Muhammad III as-Sadiq]] took charge of his education and married him to the niece of his [[Grand Vizier]] [[Mustapha Ben Ismaïl]], his favourite courtier and mainstay of authority in the Regency of Tunis. Made [[Bey al-Mahalla]] (Heir Apparent) on 12 May 1906, he succeeded his cousin [[Muhammad V an-Nasir]] on 8 July 1922.<ref>Arthur Pellegrin, ''op. cit.'', p. 173</ref> He was made a Divisional General in the beylical army on the same day he became Bey al Mahalla and was promoted to Marshal when he succeeded to the throne.

Throughout his reign he did not seek to hinder the authorities of the [[French protectorate of Tunisia|French protectorate]], in contrast to the approach of his predecessor.  He came to the throne deeply in debt and without any support owing to his coming from a branch of the family that was not close to power. He therefore remained reliant on the good graces of the French Resident General, [[Lucien Saint]].

Nevertheless, the aftermath of the [[First World War]] saw a change in relations between France and its colonies.  About 80,000 Tunisians, mostly conscripted, had served in the French army, and about 20,000 had been killed or wounded.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.san.beck.org/16-8-Algeria,Tunisia,Morocco.html#a5 | title=Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco 1700-1950 by Sanderson Beck }}</ref>  The [[Ottoman Empire]], which until its dissolution had been the nominal suzerain of the Beys of Tunis, no longer existed. Ideas of [[self-determination]] were growing, and the [[Tunisian national movement]] regrouped in 1922 with the foundation of the [[Abdelaziz Thâalbi#Destour|Destour]] party. The French authorities took a number of political initiatives, establishing consultative councils including the Grand Council and regional (caïdat) councils and introducing [[Tunisian naturalization issue#Law of December 20, 192|new laws]] allowing some Tunisians to acquire French nationality. These initiatives galvanised the [[Destour]]ians, prompting Habib Bey to advise [[Abdelaziz Thâalbi]] to leave the country if he continued to oppose them.<ref>Kenneth Perkins, A History of Modern Tunisia, Cambridge University Press, 2014 p.89</ref>

Habib Bey took part in the inauguration of the [[Grand Mosque of Paris]] in July 1926 along with [[Yusef of Morocco|Mouley Youssef]] of Morocco.<ref>Ingvar Svanberg & David Westerlund, Islam Outside the Arab World, Routledge 2012 p.344</ref>  He was also the first Tunisian ruler to have his name included in Friday prayers, replacing the Ottoman caliph.

Lucien Saint invited him and his sons Azzedine Bey and [[Muhammad VIII al-Amin|Lamine Bey]] to make a private visit to [[Marignac, Haute-Garonne|Marignac]] in July 1923 and again the following year.

He bought the [[Carthage Royal Palace|Zarrouk palace]] in Carthage<ref>http://www.persee.fr/doc/etaf_0768-2352_1974_mon_1_1 p.288 accessed 1/5/2017</ref> where he lived, by the sea, until his death. He was buried in the [[Tourbet el Bey]] in the [[medina of Tunis]]. He was succeeded by [[Ahmad II of Tunis|Ahmed Bey]].

== References ==
{{reflist}}

 
{{S-start}}
{{Succession box|title=[[List of Beys of Tunis|Bey of Tunis]]|before=[[Muhammad V an-Nasir]]|after=[[Ahmad II of Tunis|Ahmad II ibn Ali]]|years=1922&ndash;1929}}
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{{authority control}}

{{Rulers of Tunisia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhamad 06 El-Habib}}
[[Category:1858 births|El-Habib, Muhamad 6]]
[[Category:1929 deaths|El-Habib, Muhamad 6]]
[[Category:Beys of Tunis|Muhamad 6 el-Habib]]
[[Category:Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Tunisian royalty]]
[[Category:Tunisian people of Circassian descent]]