THE HAFSIDE, CLAIMING TO BE DESCENDANT OF A WISE MAN
In the 16th c., the Hafsid King, claiming descent from the biblical Magi—specifically Melchior—sought to bolster his legitimacy as he faced the Ottoman threat. Aligning himself with the Christian monarch Charles V, he aimed to counter the advances of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Once key players in the struggle between the Muslim Maghreb and Catholic Europe, the Hafsid sultans had become pawns in a shifting geopolitical landscape. The Hafsid Sultan Hamida (1542-1544) notably inspired Peter Paul Rubens in his depiction of Balthazar, linking the Hafsid legacy to the enduring narratives of the Magi.