The Origin of the Assassins

So how much of this is historically accurate? Did assassins really use hidden blades?

Nowadays when we hear the term “assassin”, we often think directly to devious murderers or unruly cutthroats. The connotation behind this word has greatly devolved over the years, as we now view it in the same light with words such as “killer” or “criminal”. This was not always the case. The history of assassins stretch far and wide, most notably in the form of an order. Throughout the sands of time, they have laid deep roots within the Middle East as an order known known as the Hashashin. There are and had been many popular and titillating stories about them; in fact, they still show up in pop culture from time to time. For instance, in the popular video game series Assassin’s Creed, we are introduced to an order of stealthy hyperathletic killers who scale walls and parkour between rooftops to hunt down their targets.

So how much of this is historically accurate? Did assassins really use hidden blades?

Naming

It all began with the Nizari Ismailis, a sect of the Ismaili Branch of Shia Islam. As both a religious and political organization in a time of social instability and warring nations, Nizari agents specialized in targeted killings and espionage. The Nizaris were recorded to consume powdered hemp leaves (also known as hashish), which contains a natural psychoactive drug, before they went on assassination missions. The name “Assassin” and the word “assassination” in English comes from the Latin term assassinus, which is a corruption of the Arabic word hasisi meaning 'hashish-eater.' Eventually, Hashashi became a term to refer to those who murder political and/or religious leaders due to how frequent the Nizaris would carry out assassinations. For this reason, the terms “assassin” and “Nizari” are used interchangeably throughout the article.

The consumption of Hashishi leaves might have been a way for the assassins to maximize their extraordinary abilities and display their willingness to die for their cause. Alternatively, they may never have used these stimulants and instead invented the story as an excuse for their unnaturally high success rate in killing people.

Nevertheless, they were educated, trained, evaluated, and initiated, then ranked within the order according to their knowledge, reliability, and loyalty. All members swore absolute obedience to the order and shared the same creed.

History

The Nizari Ismailis slowly grew during the 1100s and acquired a string of hilltop castles between 1130 and 1151 CE. They were built of stone with wooden upper structures, but some had complex defensive arrangements. One of these fortresses was Maimun-Diz, located in the north of the Alamut Valley (aka the 'eagle's nest'). The castle, one of the first to be taken from the Sunni Seljuq Empire in 1090 under the leadership of Ismaili missionary Hassan-e Sabbah, was the headquarters of the sect in Iran and home of the order's Grand Master or “Old Man.” Hassan’s quote, “nothing is true and everything is permitted”, is actually a guiding theme behind the popular Assassin’s Creed series. Historians, meanwhile, often link the “Old Man” to Rashid al-Din Sinan (aka Al-Mulaïm in the Assassin’s Creed Series), who led the Nizaris for nearly 30 years in the late 12th century from the Syrian fortress of Masyaf.

Targets

The assassins often targeted public figures and influential leaders, whose assassinations were planned beforehand to maximize political and religious effects. One such example was the powerful vizier of Baghdad, Nizam al-Mulk. In 1092 CE, an assassin disguised as a Sufi Mystic approached Nizam and plunged a dagger into his heart. It was rumored that the assassin disguised himself as the mystic for more than half a year before committing the act.

Another notable victim was Conrad of Montferrat, who was assassinated in 1192. Conrad, proclaimed King of the Kingdom of Jerusalem a few days before, was stabbed by a double team of assassins one night as he walked home from dinner. The Assassins had been disguised as monks and had caught Conrad off-guard by showing him a letter before fatally stabbing him.

Even Saladin, the eminent Sultan of Egypt and Syria, was almost assassinated. After a failed attempt on his life, he responded by besieging Masyaf for a week—but then the campaign was strangely abandoned. An explanation for this is that an Assassin had stolen into Saladin's tent at night. Instead of killing him, however, they left a knife under his pillow as a warning to what could’ve so easily been.

Strategy

In terms of military strength and sheer manpower, the Assassins were much weaker than their main adversaries. Instead, they relied on guerrilla warfare that included espionage, ambushes, and direct killings (assassinations) of enemy leaders. Assassins often masqueraded as beggars, merchants, street vagabonds, and commoners to mislead their targets and exploit the element of surprise. These assassinations were almost always done by the usage of a knife, henceforth, hidden blades are not historically accurate and were nonexistent during the period.

As word of the invisible Nizari threat spread, many leaders were forced to take on a variety of protective measures—traveling with bodyguards, wearing chainmail under clothing—but sometimes to no avail. Assassins could operate in large groups or work with proxies. Similar to how modern professional pickpocketing teams are orchestrated, many assassins could be present at the scene to minimize suspicion or serve as crowd control.

End and Legacy

Eventually, in the years 1256 and 57, the assassin order was overpowered by the threat of the rising Mongols, who conquered many Nizari fortresses and killed their final leader. The medieval Assassins might be long gone, but the Nizari Ismailis continue as a branch of Shiite Islam. Their current leader, or imam, is Prince Shah Karim al-Husseini, Aga Khan IV. Many of the ruined Ismaili castles, such as Alamut and Masyaf, still remain today. The sect also gained a whole new level of awareness thanks to the 2007 video game Assassin's Creed and its various sequels, which are loosely based on the Hashashin Order. Athough the military might of the Nizaris faded over time, their faith has survived and is still practiced around the world today by Ismailis living in 25 countries. While the reputation of the Assassins was largely built on exaggerations by their enemies, the impact of this small sect and its effective strategies struck fear into the most stalwart of organizations and has inspired imitators ever since

Works Cited

Cartwright, Mark, World History Encycolpedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Assassins/ 2019 October, 29

Torres, Vincente. National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/nizari-ismaili-muslim-warriors-medieval-times

Tesch, Noah. “Who were the Assassins?”, Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/who-were-the-assassins

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