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Hasan Sabbah: Legend of the Assassins

Biographics・17 minutes read

The Assassins, led by Hasan Sabbah, utilized ruthless tactics against the Seljuk Turks during the 11th and 12th centuries, engaging in targeted killings and establishing strategic strongholds like Alamut. Despite being labeled as radical extremists and drug users, the Assassins were skilled warriors who orchestrated high-profile assassinations while never referring to themselves as "Assassins."

Insights

  • The Assassins, led by Hasan Sabbah, utilized ruthless tactics including targeted killings and strategic planning to revolt against the Seljuk Turks, establishing a resistance movement and seizing fortresses like Alamut.
  • Despite being labeled as radical extremists and drug users, the Assassins were skilled warriors who orchestrated tactical assassinations targeting high-profile individuals, expanding their power and influence through strategic alliances and military prowess under Hasan's leadership.

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  • Who were the Assassins?

    Ruthless fighters against powerful invaders in history.

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Summary

00:00

Assassins: Ruthless Tactics Against Seljuk Turks

  • Political and military leaders of the Seljuk Turks faced intimidation tactics from the Assassins, including daggers left as warnings or used for targeted killings.
  • The Assassins, led by Hasan Sabbah, were known for their ruthless tactics in fighting against a powerful invader during the 11th and 12th centuries CE.
  • The Assassins' origins and agenda were shrouded in myth and legend, with unclear relationships with groups like the Knights Templar and the mysterious Old Man of the Mountain.
  • The first written accounts of the Assassins came from William of Tyre and later Marco Polo, detailing the mysterious Order and their methods of recruitment and training.
  • Hasan Sabbah, born in 1050 in Qom, Iran, was introduced to Ismailism and became a prominent figure in the Nizari Ismaili community.
  • Hasan's exile from Egypt led to his return to Persia, where he became a key figure in the Nizari community and began planning a revolt against the Seljuk Turks.
  • Hasan's motivations for revolting against the Seljuks included religious, political, and national reasons, leading him to formulate a strategic plan based on the Art of War.
  • Hasan successfully established a resistance movement in the Daylam region and seized the fortress of Alamut, making it a stronghold for the Nizaris.
  • Hasan's conflict with Nizam al-Mulk, a former friend turned rival, led to a Seljuk counter-attack on Alamut, which Hasan repelled with targeted killings.
  • Hasan's fidai, Bu Tahir Arrani, carried out the first high-profile assassination of Nizam al-Mulk, marking a significant victory for the Assassins in their fight against the Seljuks.

14:54

Hasan and the Assassins: Skilled Warriors

  • Hasan and his successors orchestrated 75 tactical killings targeting high-profile individuals, never civilians, leading to retaliatory massacres by occupiers among Ismaili communities.
  • The fidais' actions earned them animosity, being labeled as radical extremists and drug users, leading to the moniker "Hashishin" or Assassins, although they never referred to themselves as such.
  • Despite the association with hashish, the Assassins were highly skilled warriors not under the influence of drugs, with the term "Assassin" originating from a slur by their enemies.
  • Hasan capitalized on the chaos following the deaths of key figures in the Seljuk Sultanate, expanding his power by seizing fortresses and extending his influence to Damghan and Khuzestan.
  • Hasan's austere leadership style included executing his own sons for various reasons, while politically seeking expansion through sending da'is to establish strongholds in Syria, notably the Masyaf fortress.
  • The Syrian Assassins, under Rashīd ad-Dīn, engaged in numerous attempts to assassinate Saladin, interacting with the Templars in a complex relationship marked by hostilities and alliances.
  • Hasan Sabbah transitioned from a political and military leader to also serving as the religious leader of the Nizari community after the death of the Imam Nizar, leading an offensive towards Isfahan with Ahmad bin Attash's strategic conversion tactics.
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