Hassan Bey of Oran

Hassan Bey ruled the Western Beylik of Oran for nearly two decades from 1812 to 1831. Residing in the Palace of the Bey in the Casbah of Oran, he maintained civic order, patronized Andalusian musicians, and maintained diplomatic relations with European consuls and the Sultanate of Morocco.

When Algiers fell to the French expedition in July 1830, Hassan Bey organized local militia defenses to protect Oran. Isolated and lacking munitions from the capital, he defended the coastal forts until negotiating an orderly transfer to avoid civilian slaughter in January 1831, retiring to Alexandria where he passed away in 1834.