Setting out from the security of their mountain fortress, journeying in disguise then stealthily creeping along the corridors of power to strike suddenly from the shadows, one of the earliest examples of special forces are the Assassins of medieval Iran. These fanatical killers, feared by Kings and leaders of men, were members of the Nizari Ismaili Shi’ite minority, a breakaway sect of extremists who dominated their enemies not by force of arms but by fear of sudden unexpected death. They were created by Hasan al-Sabbah in 1090 and became a constant threat to their opponents until well into the 13th century. Sabbah was a formidable leader, and an accomplished scholar of mathematics, astronomy and philosophy. pic Hasn al-Sabbah

Hasan al-Sabbah and each of the later Assassin leaders came to be known in the West as the Old Man of the Mountain, a name given to the sect's leader in the writings of Marco Polo that referenced the sect's possession of the commanding mountain fortress of Alamut Castle, the "Eagles' Teaching" in modern Iran. In 1090, Hasan took over the fort by infiltrating it with his converts, a method that became the signature move of the Assassins. Pic Alamut Castle

Marco Polo is accredited with giving the Assassins their name, a Westernised version of Hashshāshīyīn, which was a derogatory term given by their enemies and translates roughly as “Druggies” or “Junkies”

The Nizari Ismaili Shi’ite were a minority surrounded by the massive Sunni empire and were always likely to be overwhelmed. They knew that the death of a carefully chosen leader or even a family member could have a devastating effect on their enemies. Nowhere was off limits for these remorseless killers. Nobody was safe. The Assassins’ threat was death when you least expected it – a strangling in the bedroom, a poisoned dagger at prayer, an ambush from stealthy murderers waiting in the shadows.

A Deadly Force

Pic A Seljuk horseman, a common disguise

They were a group with extreme ideologies. They were men with political strategies founded on an ability to exploit their Opponents fear of death. Their ability to kill the most important and best protected of men became legendary and often the fear of assassination was enough to deter their foe. They were outnumbered and surrounded by their foes, geographically, politically and spiritually and so resorted to fanaticism and reckless bravery to redress the odds. They sought the death of their opponents even if it meant their own deaths. Death was their promise and constant threat- and from that they gained power.

Sabbah taught his followers martial combat techniques and they were rigorously drilled in the Islamic warrior code. They learnt how to move silently, how to disguise themselves, how to assimilate the ways of their enemies, how to blend in and most importantly how to kill. They trained for many hours each day.

Sufi dancers, another common disguise

The Assassins were taught how to mix and disguise poisons, how to shoot, how to ride and care for horses but most of all they were taught how to use the dagger. Death by stabbing was the most common form of Assassination and the followers of Sabbah brought it to their enemies wherever they may be. They penetrated their opponents’ castles, snuck into their palaces and fortresses and dealt death with a cold sharp blade to Caliphs, Viziers, Generals and their families.The Nizaris did not invent the act to which they gave their name, assassination has been a common political tool from ancient times, however, it was usual to be discreet, poisoning was a popular method and it was normal practice for the poisoner to avoid detection. Not so the Assassins! Their executions were very often performed in public places with a dagger and were usually very bloody affairs. It was form of advertising their power “We can get you anywhere, anytime we chose”

Often the threat of Assassination was enough to achieve their aims, a letter pinned to a pillow by a poisoned tipped dagger might do the job.

“Cut off the head of the serpent!”

Assassins used Special Forces tactics, hitting hard at the head of their enemies and then retreating to the security of their mountain fortresses.

The Assassins posed a substantial strategic threat to Fatimid, Abbasid, and Seljuk authority. Over the course of nearly 200 years, they killed hundreds of people – including three caliphs, a ruler of Jerusalem and several Muslim and Christian leaders. Saladin, a major foe of the Assassins, escaped assassination twice in 1175–1176. They killed Caliphs, Atabegs, Viziers and Emirs. They killed them in their homes, their army camps, bazaars, and in ambushes almost anywhere. Nowhere was safe from them. They taught their Sunni enemies to fear them. So much so that one Caliph insisted on his staff being naked at all times in his presence so that they could not conceal any weapons. He was killed by an assassin who posing as stable hand, stabbed him despite being naked, ha had hidden a knife in a horse’s mane.

The Assassins were feared and despised by the Crusaders. The first Frank known to have been killed by the Assassins was Raymond II, Count of Tripoli, in 1152, at the southern gate to his city after returning from a ride along with two of his knights, possibly because Raymond had established Templar castles in the region. Assassins hated and reviled the Templars, their diametrically opposite fanatical opponents.

In 1192 a council of senior Crusaders deposed the ineffective and incompetent King Guy of Lusignan from the throne of Jerusalem and elected the very competent Conrad of Montferrat. However, Conrad was never crowned. Around late morning on 28th April, he went to eat at the house of his kinsman and friend, Philip, Bishop of Beauvais. The bishop had already eaten, so Conrad returned home. On his way, he was attacked in the street by two Assassins, who stabbed him at least twice in the side and back. His guards killed one of his attackers and captured the other. It is not certain how long Conrad survived, he either died at the scene of the attack or in a nearby church, within a very short time. He was reckoned to be a very capable leader and the loss of a potentially formidable king was a severe blow to the kingdom.

Who ordered the killing will never be known but there can be little doubt that it was an Ismaili Special Forces Operation!

Terminator Royally Terminated

In June 1272, Edward 1 while Crusading, as all good English Kings must do, was another intended target of the Assassins. He was the victim of an assassination attempt by a member of the Syrian Order of Assassins, purportedly ordered by the Mamluk Sultan Baibars. Edward was sleeping in his bed when he was disturbed by his attacker. The doughty King was a big strong man and he managed to kill his assailant, despite being stabbed in the arm by a dagger feared to be poisoned. He was severely weakened by the injury however, and soon decided to abandon the campaign and head home. Pic the imaginative Victorian take on the bungled assassination of Edward I

Legendary Killers

There were of course many legends about the Assassins. One such tale concerns Count Henry II of Champagne, who in 1192 spoke with the Old Man of the Mountains, Grand Master Rashid ad-Din Sinan. The count claimed to have the most powerful army in the region and at any moment he claimed he could defeat the Hashashin, because his army was 10 times larger. Rashid replied that his army was the more powerful despite being smaller, and to prove it he told one of his men to jump off from the top of the castle in which they were staying. The man jumped to his death. Surprised, the count immediately recognized that Rashid's army was indeed the strongest as his men would obey orders without question even if it caused their certain death!

Another story tells how the leader of the Assassins was in negotiations with a powerful Sunni Caliph. The Caliph grew infuriated with the Assassin, called his household guard and threatened to kill the impertinent leader and all his men.

The Assassin calmly signalled the Caliphs guard who drew their sharp swords and held them towards the Caliph. They were all Assassins who had infiltrated the Caliph’s army many years before!

The End of the Asassins?

The Assassins were a prominent force in Middle East politics for two centuries but met their demise when their Sunni neighbours decided enough was enough and conducted a series of military campaigns to besiege their castles and eradicate their sect. The potent Special Forces Unit was finally disbanded after being a threat for two hundred years.

Their essence never really went away though, they gave us a term that is still in use today, assassination, assassinate, assassin although it is usually associated with political hit men rather than an extreme religious cult.

Assassins live on in our culture, they stalk through our spy stories, they stealthily ambush unsuspecting targets in our computer games, and they silently slay their enemies in our graphic novels.