Many centuries ago, the dark glory of the organization of elusive ideal assassins - assassins (translated from Arabic - "eating hashish") began. This mysterious order of "bounty hunters", which existed in the Middle East during the era of the Crusades, was an aggressive Ismaili sect. Suicide warriors terrified the armored crusaders. Subsequently, the assassins began to be used as assassins for hire. It is in this sense that the word "assassin" has migrated into the modern lexicon.
The founder of this religious sect was Hasan ibn al-Sabbah (1051-1124), who created a state in the mountainous regions of Persia, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon that existed for more than 140 years. The capital of the state was the impregnable fortress of the Seljuk Turks in the Alamut Valley, which the Ismailis occupied in 1090 using cunning and dexterity.
Ruins of the fortress of Alamut
For thirty-four years Hasan ibn as-Sabbah, whom the crusaders called the Old Man of the Mountain, lived in Alamut. He established a harsh lifestyle there for absolutely everyone, without exception. Hasan himself led a very modest life, although he was married and had children. From his subjects, he demanded absolute obedience.
The Sheikh ordered the execution of one of his sons, finding him drinking wine. He sentenced another son to death, only on the suspicion that he was involved in the murder of a certain preacher. Hasan was strict and fair to the point of heartlessness. This attracted supporters to him, and soon about 60 thousand people gathered under his rule.
It is said that the idea of turning their subjects into fanatical murderers of the Old Man of the Mountain was prompted by history when, on the orders of Nizam al-Mulk, the chief vizier of the Seljuk sultan, the leader of the local Ismailis was executed in the city of Sawa.
Upon learning of this, the Elder of the Mountain climbed the tower in Alamut and proclaimed: "The murder of this shaitan al-Mulk will anticipate heavenly bliss!" While he was descending from the tower, a crowd of fanatics had already gathered at its foot, ready to kill the vizier. The loudest shouted in it was a certain Bu Tahir Arrani, who expressed his readiness to pay with his life for revenge on the vizier. Hasan ibn al-Sabbah chose him for the role of the killer.
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During the holiday of Ramadan on October 10, 1092, in the city of Sawa (south of Tehran), Bu Tahir Arrani managed to approach al-Mulk's stretcher when he was carried out of the tent. The assassin thrust his dagger into the vizier's chest and immediately, with a smile on his lips, gave himself to the guards for inevitable reprisal.
Assassination of Nizam al-Mulk, 14th century miniature
Hasan ordered to hang out a memorial table in Alamut and engrave the name of the murdered man on it, next to it - the name of the holy creator of revenge. Over the subsequent years of Hasan's life, 49 more names of people killed by the assassins appeared on this "board of honor": sultans, princes, kings, governors, priests, mayors, scientists, writers.
After the first political assassination, the Old Man of the Mountain became convinced that fanatics ready to sacrifice themselves were a terrible force. From among the young men, among whom the preference was given to orphans, he selected a fighting squad of fedawis or fedains, which means "sacrificing themselves in the name of faith," which may have become the first terrorist organization on Earth. Hasan inspired his feedavis that after death they would certainly go to heaven. And with a skillful trick he made the candidates for killers feel what this paradise is like.
In one of the inaccessible valleys between the mountains, in a place known only to a handful of Hasan's closest assistants, an amazing garden with beautiful flowers and fruit trees was laid out, in the center of which there was a palace decorated with gold. Wine, milk and honey flowed from the springs near the walls of the palace.
The Old Man of the Mountain in his "Garden of Eden"
The palace and garden were filled with the most beautiful women who could play musical instruments, sing and dance magnificently. Everything corresponded to the way Muhammad described paradise. Inspiring to his followers that he, too, was a prophet and, even during his lifetime, could transfer a person to heaven, Hasan performed this "miracle" from time to time.
Several young men who were preparing to become feedawi were drugged with hashish, put to sleep with drinking, and transported to that secret garden. Coming to their senses, seeing around the indescribable beauty and adorable houris who served them wine, delighted their ears with music and singing, in every possible way pleased the guests with skillful love caresses, the young men were fully confident that they were in real paradise. After several days of paradise life, the guys were again euthanized and carried back to the fortress.
There, Hasan asked where they were, and they answered: “In paradise, thanks to your mercy, sir!” And talked about the details of paradise life. The rest of the young people gathered around were jealous of the lucky ones, and all together sincerely wished to give their lives for the great deed of the Elder of the Mountain in order to quickly get to heaven, which had become quite real for them.
Assassin's initiation
Prepared fedains conscientiously. They were taught to wield all types of weapons, understand poisons and endure adversity. They made them stand motionless at the fortress wall in the heat and cold, honing their patience. They were told that a real assassin must be able to wait for years to deliver a mortal blow to the enemy.
The talent of transformation among the assassins was valued no less than combat skills. They knew how to change beyond recognition. Posing as a wandering circus troupe, monks of the medieval Christian order, healers, dervishes, eastern merchants or local warriors, the assassins made their way into the very den of the enemy to kill their victim there. And during the most terrible tortures and executions to which the assassins were subjected, they tried to smile.
The sect had a strict hierarchical structure. At the very bottom were the rank-and-file members - "fedains", executioners of death sentences. If they managed to survive for several years, they were promoted to the next rank - senior private or "rafik".
This was followed by the "officer" position - "give" and "general" - "give al-kirbal". "Generals" obeyed only the mysterious Old Man of the Mountain, hidden from prying eyes.
The most active assassins acted during the reign of Hasan ibn al-Sabbah. Under him, they extended their influence to many areas of the Muslim world, creating a chain of fortified mountain fortresses in northern Iran and Syria and pursuing a policy of secret assassinations of enemies.
Judging by the "honor roll" in Alamut, 73 people were killed by one hundred and eighteen fedains, 49 of them during the reign of the Elder of the Mountain. Probably, the "drop in performance" was due to the fact that the eastern rulers began to buy the loyalty of the Assassins. But at the same time they began to pay for the removal of objectionable noble Europeans.
Hasan ibn al-Sabbah died in 1124 in his fortress, but the order did not die out immediately and for a long time remained a serious force in Persia and Syria. In 1145, the Assassins received an "order" for the son of the Tripolitanian Count Raymond II of Toulouse. They attacked his small detachment at the gates of Antioch and pursued him through the streets of the city. When the heir of Tripoli took refuge in the church, the assassins rushed in and stabbed him to death right on the altar.
Assassin attack on Saladin, 1175
In response, a detachment of Raymond II, together with a detachment of the Templars, drove the assassins into the mountains and took Alamut into a tight ring. The Elder of the Mountain and the Grand Master of the Templars Robert de Craon agreed that the Assassins would pay the crusaders a "symbolic" tribute of 2,000 gold coins.
For some time the Assassins and Crusaders lived peacefully, especially since the Europeans often had a demand for hired killers, and the Assassins had an offer. However, after some time, a conflict arose between them, and the friendship was upset.
Since then, kings in the heart of Europe flinched at the mention of Assassins. One careless word about the Old Man of the Mountain and his subjects could bring death, as happened to the Count of Bohemond, who was killed in broad daylight in a thick crowd at the gates of Antioch.
In 1192, the fedains overtook the contender for the crown of Jerusalem, Konrad of Montferrat, at the gates of Tire and finished him off. The assassins killed three caliphs, six viziers, several dozen governors of regions and rulers of cities, many large clerics and the great Iranian scientist Abul-Mahasin Ibn Tagri-berdi.
But still, the power of the assassins was broken: in 1256, the Mongol troops besieged the fortress of Alamut and after three days of continuous fighting took it. In 1260 the Masiaf, located in Syria, suffered the same fate. Assassins were outlawed, and fabulous rewards were assigned to their heads. Most of them were destroyed.
Hulegu destroys the fortress of Alamut
The rest were forced to scatter over the mountains and go deep underground. Legend has it that some of them managed to escape to India, where they joined the servants of the goddess Kali. Supposedly, it was the assassins who founded the caste of assassins in India, known as tagi (deceivers) or fancigars (stranglers).
And the “self-sacrificing” fedayeen revived in the middle of the 20th century as members of the terrorist organization “Fedayane Eslam” created by the Iranian mullah Navvab Safavi, which organized attempts on the life of political and public figures of Iran and the Middle East. Sometimes fedayins are still called fanatical terrorists of the Islamic persuasion.
Masiaf Fortress
To this day, the Ismaili movement continues to exist. In 1957, the current direct descendant of the last Elder of the Mountain, Prince Aga Khan IV, assumed supremacy over the Ismailis. The Assassins never regained their former power, of which the ruins of fortresses still resemble.
Used materials from the article by Oleg Alexandrov from the site oursociety.ru