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Nizari Assassins Activities
In the 1130s, the Nizari Ismailis (known as the Assassins) carried out political assassinations against Abbasid caliphs, Seljuk officials, and local …
Timeline
- 1131–1140Alamut fortress · IranAfter the death of Hassan-i Sabbah, the Nizari were led successively by Buzurg Ummid (1094–1124) and Muhammad Buzurg Ummid (1124–1138). In the 1130s, Alamut fortress continued as the sect's headquarters, while mountain fortresses in Syria (Kahf, Masyaf, etc.) formed the operational network there.
- 1135Hulwan · IraqIn August 1135, Nizari assassins successfully killed Abbasid Caliph al-Mustarshid near Hulwan. This act was both the result of long-standing hostility between the Nizari and Abbasid orthodoxy, and some historians believe it was linked to the political interests of the Seljuk sultan.
- 1131–1140Syria and Persia · West AsiaBeyond assassinating the caliph, in the 1130s the Nizari also carried out intimidatory assassinations or attempted assassinations against Seljuk officials, local atabegs, and Crusader leaders. Their tactics of infiltrating enemy camps with 'fedayin' (devotees) and publicly executing targets created a widespread deterrent effect in West Asian politics.
Sources
- The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam — Bernard Lewis (1967)
- The Eagle's Nest: Ismaili Castles in Iran and Syria — Peter Willey (2005)