The Order of Assassins

Lore & Background

The Order of Assassins was a Nizari Isma'ili Shia military order founded by Hasan-i Sabbah in 1090. Its power was based on a network of mountain fortresses in Persia and Syria, with the primary divisions being the Persian Assassins at Alamut Castle and the Levantine Assassins at Masyaf Castle. The order’s headquarters were established after the capture of Alamut Castle in the Alborz mountain range of Persia. This fortress, along with Lambsar Castle, formed the foundation of a network of Isma'ili strongholds that also included Syrian castles at Masyaf, Abu Qubays, al-Qadmus, and al-Kahf. Sabbah spent most of his days at Alamut producing religious works and developing doctrines, never leaving the fortress after its capture. The Assassins conducted high-profile assassinations throughout the Levant during the Crusades, killing hundreds of people over roughly 200 years, including three caliphs, a ruler of Jerusalem, and numerous Muslim and Christian leaders. Their victims included Fatimids, Abbasids, Seljuks, and Crusaders. The English word “assassin” derives from the Arabic *hashshashin*, linked to hashish, though the belief that assassinations were carried out under its influence is contested. The order began to collapse in 1253 due to the Mongol campaign against the Nizaris, and by 1256 the network was defeated, though some Levantine strongholds resisted. The Mongol army then massacred hundreds of thousands of Nizari Isma'ilis, largely destroying the community by 1257. The order ended under Imam Rukn al-Din Khurshah, who surrendered the castles after the Mongol invasion.

Reader's Guide

The Order of Assassins was a Nizari Isma'ili Shia military order founded by Hasan-i Sabbah in 1090. Its power rested on a network of mountain fortresses in Persia and Syria, including the headquarters at Alamut Castle and Masyaf Castle in the Levant. For nearly two centuries, the order conducted high-profile assassinations against enemies of their state, targeting Fatimids, Abbasids, Seljuks, and Crusaders alike. Their victims included three caliphs, a ruler of Jerusalem, and numerous other Muslim and Christian leaders. Notable among these were Janah ad-Dawla, Mawdud ibn Altuntash, Fatimid vizier Al-Afdal Shahanshah, and Abbasid caliphs al-Mustarshid and ar-Rashid. The order’s tactics and the contested belief that assassins acted under the influence of hashish gave rise to the English word "assassin," derived from the Arabic *hashshashin*. The Assassins were acknowledged and feared by Crusaders, killing Raymond II of Tripoli, Conrad of Montferrat, and Philip of Montfort. Saladin twice survived assassination attempts by the order. The Assassins’ decline began with the Mongol campaign against the Nizaris in 1253; by 1256 the network was defeated, though some Levantine strongholds resisted. The Mongols then massacred hundreds of thousands of Nizari Isma'ilis, largely destroying the community by the following year. Contemporary historians such as ibn al-Qalanisi, Ali ibn al-Athir, and Ata-Malik Juvayni documented the order, with the first two referring to them as *batiniyya*, a term accepted by Isma'ilis themselves.

Did You Know?

• The English word 'assassin' derives from the Arabic 'hashshashin', which shares etymological roots with 'hashish'.
• The Assassins killed hundreds of people over 200 years, including Shias, Sunnis, and Christians.