ASSASSIN, a general term for a secret murderer (properly Hashishin, from Hashish, the opiate made from the juice of hemp leaves), originally the name of the Ismaili branch of the Shiite sect founded by Hasan-i-Sabbah at the end of the I 1 th century, and from that time active in Syria and Persia until crushed in the i3th century by the Mongols under Hulagu in Persia, and by the Mamluk Baybars in Syria. Hasan, a native of Khurasan and a Shiite, after many adventures settled near Kuhistan and gradu ally spread his peculiar modification of Ismaili doctrine. Having collected a considerable number of followers he formed them into a secret society. In 1090 he obtained, by stratagem, the strong mountain fortress of Alamut in Persia, and, removing there with his followers, settled as chief of the famous Assassins.
The speculative principles of this body were identical with those of the Isma`ilis, but their external policy was marked by one peculiar and distinctive feature—the employment of secret "assassination" against all enemies. This practice was introduced by Hasan, and formed the essential characteristic of the sect. At their head was the supreme ruler, the Shaykh-al-Jabal, i.e., Chief, or, as it is commonly translated, Old Man of the Mountains. Under him were three Da'i-al-Kirbal, or, grand priors, who ruled the three provinces over which the shaykh's power extended. Next came the body of Ddis or priors, who were fully initiated into all the secret doctrines, and were the emissaries of the faith. Fourth were the Ra f iqs, who were in process of initiation, and ultimately advanced to the dignity of ddis. Fifth came the most distinctive class, the Fidd'is (i.e., the devoted ones), who were the guards or assassins proper—young men who were kept uniniti ated, and the blindest obedience was exacted from and yielded by them. Finally, the sixth and seventh orders were the Ldsiqs, or novices, and the common people.
The Assassins soon began to make their power felt. One of their first victims was Hasan's former friend, Nizam-al-Mulk (see SELJ UKS), whose son also died under the dagger of a secret murderer. After a long and prosperous rule Hasan died at an advanced age in 1124, and was succeeded by his chief da`i, Kiya Buzurg-Ummed.
During the 14 years' reign of this second leader, the Assassins were frequently unfortunate in the open field, and their castles were taken and plundered; but they acquired a stronghold in Syria, while their numerous murders (e.g., of the caliphs Mustar shid and Rashid) made them an object of dread to the neighbour ing princes, and spread abroad their evil renown. Buzurg-Ummed was succeeded by his son Muhammad I. 0138-62) in whose reign the fortress of Masyad became the chief seat of the Syrian branch of the society. His son Hasan (1162-66) declared him self to be the promised Imam, the caliph of God upon earth, and a lineal descendant of Ismail. His son and successor Muhammad II. (1166-121o) had to contend with many powerful enemies, especially with the great Atabeg sultan Nur ad-Din, and his more celebrated successor, Saladin, who had gained possession of Egypt of ter the death of the last Fatimid caliph, and against whom even secret assassination seemed powerless. During his reign, also, the Syrian branch of the society, under their da`i, Sinan, made themselves independent, and remained so ever after wards. It was with this Syrian branch that the Crusaders made acquaintance ; and it appears to have been their emissaries who slew Count Raymund of Tripoli and Conrad of, Montferrat.
During the reign of his son, HASAN III. (1210-122o), no assas sinations occurred, and he obtained a high reputation among the neighbouring princes. Like his father, he was removed by poison, and his son, `Ala ad-Din Muhammad III. abandoned the mild principles of his father and a fresh course of assassination was entered on. In 1255, after a reign of 35 years, `Ala ad-Din was slain, with the connivance of his son, Rukn ad-Din, the last ruler of the Assassins. In the following year Hulagu, brother of the Tatar, Mangu Khan, invaded the hill country of Persia, took Alamut and many other castles, and captured Rukn ad-Din. (See MONGOLS.) He treated him kindly, and, at his own request, sent him under escort to Mangu, who ordered Rukn ad-Din to be put to death, and sent a messenger to Hulagu commanding him to slay all his captives. About 12,000 of the Assassins were massacred, and their power in Persia was completely broken. The Syrian branch flourished for some years longer, till Baybars, the Mamluk sultan of Egypt, ravaged their country and nearly extirpated them. Small bodies of them lingered about the moun tains of Syria, and are believed still to exist there. Doctrines somewhat similar to theirs are still to be met with in north Syria, Persia and India.