Bani Hassan (Mauritania)

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Bani Hassan ( Arabic بني حسان Banī Hassān , DMG Banī Ḥassān ; also Benu Hassan ) is a group of Arab tribes who descend from Banu Hilal and had a special influence on the history of the western Sahara regions.

They lived in northwestern Africa around the 14th century, possibly near the Wadi Draa, and then penetrated deeper and deeper into the Sahara to Senegal and Niger . There they mixed mainly with the Berbers of the Sanhajah and around the 17th century brought the area of Mauritania under their control and founded several emirates there .