Hashashin: The Order of the Assassins

The Hashashin was a sect of Ismaili Shi'i that existed in Iran more than 700 years ago. Some refer to the Hashashin as a cult or a secret society. Whatever, you call them; they were a group of highly trained assassins. In fact, the word assassin may very well be derived from the word Hashashin.

Ismaili leader, Hassan al-Sabah organized the Hashashin when the heir apparent of the Fatimid Empire, a man who Hassan supported, was killed. Judging by the sect's behavior, Hassan organized the group as a means of eliminating political and religious enemies. He recruited boys and young men and vigorously trained them in stealth combat. One of their first orders of business was to conquer the mountain fortress of Alamut. They succeeded and turned it into their secret hideout. They lived and trained there when they were not on Hashashin missions.

Hashashins are said to have trained in martial arts and weapons use. However, their weapon of choice appears to have been the dagger, sometimes dipped in poison. They often carried out their missions (assassinations) without bothering to wait for cover of night. The idea was that they evoked more dread this way. One high profile assassination that the Hashashin are credited with is that of Sir Conrad de Montferrat, King of Jerusalem.

Hashashin could lay in wait in disguise for years before taking action against their target. They may even live in the target's household. Sometimes Hashashins were placed just in case someone needed to be killed in the future. It appears as if they were very loyal and obedient to their Grand Master, so a mission requiring this much patience was not uncommon.

The first Grand Master of the Hashashin was the founder, Hassan al-Sabah. Over the next nearly two hundred years, there would be seven more. Hassan set the example by commanding absolute obedience from his assassins. Hashashins appear to have been vilified by their contemporaries, so it is hard to say how much of what was said about them is true. One interesting story goes that Hassan al-Sabah set up a trick to make it appear as if he had decapitated one of his assassins and the assassins head lay at the foot of his throne. It was actually one of his men buried up to his neck. He invited his assassins to speak to it. He said that he used special powers to allow it to communicate. After the trick was played, Hassan had the man killed and his head placed on a stake to cement the deception.

Another way that the Grand Masters are said to have controlled the Hashashin is by forcing them to smoke hashish (another word that seems to have come from the order of assassins) and put them in a pleasurable situation. They would then be convinced that the only way to heaven is through Hassan. There are a few problems with this theory. First, there is no evidence of this apart from fantastical stories. Second, the side effects of hashish use include difficulty concentrating, loss of coordination and trouble problem solving. This does not sound much like the behavior of a slick assassin.

The Hashashin suffered an attack from the Mongols in 1256. Alamut was destroyed and the Hashashin were left without a home. Nonetheless, they managed to hang on by a thread until 1272, when they were eradicated by Sultan Baibars.

Sources

What is the Hashashin?, retrieved 10/4/10, wisegeek.com/what-is-the-hashashin.htm

Hashish, retrieved 10/4/10, drugs.com/hashish.html

The Assassins, retrieved 10/4/10, unexplainedstuff.com/Secret-Societies/The-Assaassins.html