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In early 2016, Assassin's Creed passed the 100 million unit mark. To date, it is the youngest game series that has managed to achieve this, and it took less than a decade. Gradually, Assassin's Creed ceases to be a purely gaming franchise - books and comics are published with might and main about the centuries-old confrontation between the Assassins and the Templars, and in early 2017, a film adaptation. On this occasion, we decided to remind you of the main milestones in the history of Assassin's Creed.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Ubisoft successfully rebooted the iconic Prince of Persia series. Work began on a sequel, and then producer Patrice Desile had the idea to replace the main character. The nameless prince was to be replaced by an assassin, and his adventures would unfold no longer in magical Persia, but against the backdrop of real historical events. The studio bosses did not want such radical changes in the famous series, but they gave Dezile the go-ahead to develop an independent project.

When the original Assassin's Creed was first introduced to the public, it might have seemed like a historical adventure about a dashing assassin from the Third Crusade. This turned out to be only partly true. As the release approached, hints began to appear in promotional materials that everything was not so simple and that the events of the past were somehow connected with the present.

The Hidden Blade is a favorite weapon of the Assassins and one of the symbols of the series.

Indeed, the action of the game unfolded in two eras at once. The plot of Assassin's Creed was based on the idea that a person has a genetic memory that stores information about the lives of his ancestors. A machine called the Animus, created by Abstergo Industries Corporation, extracted genetic memory from a person's DNA and allowed him to experience episodes of the life of the ancestors as his own.

This idea allowed the developers to easily transfer the action to other eras in numerous sequels. And the plot of the entire series was based on the conflict of two secret orders, which has been going on in different parts of the Earth for many centuries.

Parties to the conflict

Forerunners

Humanity is not the first intelligent species to appear on our planet. Long before the rise of our race, the Earth belonged to the Isu people, also known as the Forerunners. Outwardly, they looked like people, but they had a completely different DNA structure. The Isu civilization reached outstanding heights in science and created homo sapiens in its own image and likeness - our distant ancestors were servants of the Forerunners. With this creation, the Isu laid the foundation for their death. People rebelled and, thanks to their numerical superiority, brought the former owners to the brink of death.

The war, however, cost both sides dearly - they did not notice the impending global catastrophe that destroyed most of the world's population. After that, the people of Isu finally ceased to exist. People were able to recover from the disaster and began to build their civilization.

The old masters remained in the memory of mankind only as mythical gods. However, vague legends are not all that remains on Earth from the Forerunners. Isu artifacts, called the Pieces of Eden, survived. These are items of incredible power, allowing, for example, to subdue the minds of people or create a protective field around the owner.

In addition, a group of Isu scientists (their names remained in history: Jupiter, Minerva and Juno) shortly before the disaster created a system of temples that could protect the Earth. They have not been activated, but they are hidden from view, waiting for the hour when they are needed again. And they contain messages for those who will try to save the planet.

In the main temple, the consciousness of Juno herself was preserved, which, unlike her colleagues, did not pursue noble goals, but aspired to power over the Earth. Juno was able to save the consciousness of her husband Aita by manipulating human DNA. Over the centuries, Aita has been "reborn" more than once in the bodies of different people.

assassins

Historical chronicles say that the Order of the Assassins appeared in the Middle Ages. However, he existed long before he declared himself publicly. He acted from behind the scenes, seeking to make the world a better place - including through assassinations. The ideal of the Assassins is the freedom of society, personality and thought, and for the sake of it, members of the order shed a lot of blood. They fought on the side of many revolutionaries and challenged tyrants. Xerxes I, Alexander the Great and Gaius Julius Caesar fell precisely at the hands of the ancient Assassins.

Templars

Eternal opponents of the Assassins. Their order was also founded long before the first mention of it appeared on the pages of chronicles. Their goal is about the same as that of the Assassins - the prosperity of mankind, but the way to achieve it is radically different. The Templars are sure that most people are weak and unable to dispose of freedom, and in order to prevent chaos and anarchy, humanity must be kept under strict control. Many great dynasties and rulers of the past came to power thanks to the help of the Templars. And in order to strengthen their power, they are looking for artifacts and knowledge of the Forerunner civilization.

Attention, there are spoilers for older games below!

First open encounter

For most of history, the confrontation between the Assassins and the Templars went unnoticed by ordinary people. Both orders kept a low profile, not publicizing their existence and ambitions. Therefore, the pages of the early history of the orders are shrouded in mystery.

The period when the Assassins and the Templars declared themselves and acted more or less openly was short. It happened in the era of the Crusades - both orders, openly, participated in the struggle in the Middle East. However, the Assassins and the Templars were interested not only in power. Both orders sought to take possession of the Piece of Eden, kept in the Temple of Solomon.

Forerunner Artifacts endow their owners with incredible powers.

The brightest hero of that era was the assassin Altair ibn La-Ahad. In his youth, he was distinguished by recklessness and self-confidence, which cost one of his comrades his life, and himself his reputation. But later Altair restored his position in the order, skillfully eliminating the Templars and their allies. One of the victims of Altair was the supreme master of the Knights Templar - Robert de Sable.

But the main enemy of the order was not the templar, but ... the head of the assassins themselves, Al-Mualim. He rejected the teachings of the order and decided to use the power of the Piece of Eden to enslave the Assassins. Altair had to challenge his own mentor.

You could learn about the further fate of the hero from the mobile spin-off and flashbacks in subsequent games. After the death of Al-Mualim, Altair led the order, and he soon again went into the shadows. For the outside world, the order disappeared, but in fact continued to fight for the ideals of freedom. So, Altair personally went to Mongolia and helped the local assassins kill Genghis Khan.

The skill of parkour is in the blood of assassins

Altair became the protagonist of the first part of Assassin's Creed, which laid the foundations of the series. A cryptohistorical plot, where real events were intertwined with the fiction of the scriptwriters. An open world based on ancient cities rich in sights. Dynamic gameplay that focused on parkour and cinematic fights.

Unlike most assassins in the game, Altair was not inclined to hide and wait for a long time, waiting for the moment to strike. Jumping on the victim from a height, like a bird of prey, and then instantly disappear into the crowd - that was his style. Yes, and he entered into battles with enemies without problems - the assassin's training allowed him to deal with an entire detachment alone.

However, with all the merits of the first Assassin's Creed, it was a kind of pen test. There were enough interesting gameplay mechanics and ideas in the game, but they were not always implemented at the proper level. The monotony of the missions was disappointing, and in the open world there were not so many interesting things to do.

Renaissance

By the time of the Renaissance, the orders of the Assassins and the Templars had officially ceased to exist. In fact, they simply stopped doing business openly and resumed a covert war. During the Renaissance, a tense struggle unfolded in Italy, where the Grand Master of the Templars, the infamous Rodrigo Borgia, rushed to the papal throne. In an effort to subjugate Florence and get the Piece of Eden stored there, Borgia weaved a network of cunning intrigues, one of the victims of which was the noble Auditore family.

Only one of the sons of the family, young Ezio, managed to escape death. In order to find the killers and take revenge on them, Ezio followed in the footsteps of his father and became an assassin. The hunt dragged on for many years. By the time the assassin got to Rodrigo, he had become pope, and Ezio was no longer driven by hatred, but by the ideals of the order. Assassin took possession of ancient artifacts and touched the secrets of a previous civilization, but spared the old Borgia.

Many famous historical figures died in the game at the hands of the Assassins.

Mercy unpleasantly backfired on Ezio - his house was attacked by the papal army, led by Rodrigo's son, Cesare. This caused the Auditore to draw his weapon again. Assassin traveled to Rome, determined to put an end to Rodrigo's power. For several years, Ezio restored the brotherhood of the Assassins of Rome and undermined the position of the Borgia. Eventually his efforts led to the fall of the infamous house. After that, the Auditore went to Constantinople to find the key to the library created by Altair.

Ubisoft has dedicated three games to Ezio's adventures. Assassin’s Creed II told about his youth and attempts to take revenge on the killers, followed by Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, in which Ezio freed the Eternal City from the control of Borgia, and in Assassin’s Creed: Revelations the hero went on a journey to the East.

Assassins are able to act covertly, but, unlike many game killers, they are able to successfully confront many opponents in open combat.

These three games polished the great ideas of the series. Tasks with each part became more diverse. The open world is filled with really interesting activities. The plot has reached a new level, becoming more cinematic - in this regard, the series has progressed with each new game. The real story has ceased to be just a backdrop for the assassin's adventures - now the hero participated in important events of the past. And the gameplay mechanics, especially fencing, have improved markedly.

However, the Ezio trilogy also highlighted one of the key shortcomings of Assassin's Creed. Developers started releasing games every year, and each subsequent part was not so different from the previous one. Yes, something new appeared in each - for example, in Brotherhood they added multiplayer and the ability to assemble their own brotherhood of assassins. But it was hard to shake off the feeling that Ubisoft had put the production of Assassin's Creed on the assembly line and handicraft began to crowd out creativity.

Family matters

Using the examples of Altair and Ezio, it is easy to decide that between the Assassins and the Templars lies an unbridgeable abyss. But the orders also had a lot in common - for example, the cruelty of methods and interest in the legacy of the Forerunners. Sometimes the line between Assassins and Templars became very thin.

The example of the Kenway family, which is described in the game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, is especially indicative. The first known representative of this family, Edward, was a famous sea robber and participated in the creation of the pirate republic of Nassau. Along the way, he became an assassin and raised his son Haytem in the traditions of the order. However, Edward died before he completed his training. His son made friends with the Templars and joined their order. And Haytem's son from an Indian woman, Connor, grew up without knowing his father, and became an assassin.

Both Haytham and Connor participated in the American Revolutionary War, and on the same side. For various reasons, both supported the rebellious colonists. A couple of times, father and son even acted together - for example, to eliminate the traitor Templar Benjamin Church. But in the end, they met in a deadly duel.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was perhaps the biggest experiment in the history of the series and one of the best pirate games of the 21st century.

An example from the era of the French Revolution is no less illustrative. Arno Dorian lost his assassin father early. Out of respect for a worthy enemy, the head of the French Templars took the boy to his house and raised him as a son, hiding the opposition of the orders from him. After the murder of his adoptive father, in which Arno was unfairly accused, the young man met the Assassins and joined them, trying to find the perpetrators of the crime.

On the other side of the barricades, his beloved Eliza, the daughter of Arno's adoptive father, remained. And although the girl became a Templar, this did not prevent them from maintaining their feelings and hunting the killer together.

However, do not think that the enmity between the Assassins and the Templars has weakened. Sometimes they managed to find a common language with each other, but there were enough merciless conflicts. A real street war unfolded in London in the middle of the 19th century - the city was under the complete control of the Templars until the twins Jacob and Evie Fry appeared in it. Relying on the criminal world, they tried to destroy the web of power woven by the English Templars.

Belonging to opposing orders did not prevent Arno and Eliza from maintaining feelings for each other

After the completion of the Ezio trilogy, each subsequent installment of the main Assassin's Creed series introduced us to a new hero and a new era. In the third part, the events unfolded in America during the War of Independence. The fourth took us to the Caribbean, to the golden era of piracy. It was perhaps the most experimental game in the series. The developers decided to move away from the usual gameplay formula and added naval battles - we spent a good half of the game time at the helm of the ship.

With the transition to the consoles of the current generation, Ubisoft abandoned the numbering of the games in the series, so the new Assassin's Creed did without numbers in the title. Set in revolutionary France, Unity is the first installment in the series to recreate historical locations to life size. And in Syndicate, where we are waging a secret war for London, for the first time two main characters with different abilities appeared at once.

Each subsequent game was somewhat different from the previous ones, but Ubisoft did not dare to seriously deviate from the proven model - the “pirated” part was an exception. The developers gave out first-class gaming blockbusters, but rarely tried to seriously surprise.

With the power of next-gen consoles, Assassin's Creed's virtual cities have never been more alive and closer to reality.

Russian trace

Rumors have repeatedly appeared that the events of one of the parts of Assassin's Creed will unfold in Russia during the revolution. But initially the creators of the universe turned to this era not in games.

The mini-comic series Assassin's Creed: The Fall and Assassin's Creed: The Chain told about the Russian assassin Nikolai Orlov. In his youth, he made an unsuccessful attempt on the Templar ally Alexander III, which led to the collapse of the imperial train. Nikolai then participated in the attack on the Templar laboratory in Siberia, where they were researching the Pieces of Eden - this led to the Tunguska incident.

After the October Revolution, tired of the struggle, Orlov decided to leave the order and Russia. But before that, he saved Princess Anastasia and helped the girl leave the country. For this, Nicholas had to betray the order and oppose his brothers. One of the games, the platformer Assassin’s Creed Chronicles, told about the acquaintance of Orlov and Anastasia and their adventures. And the pages of The Chain tell about the last days of Orlov, who was overtaken by the revenge of his former comrades, and about his descendant Daniel Cross, who brought the Assassins to the brink of death.

New world

The confrontation between the Assassins and the Templars lasted for many centuries. As a rule, the balance of power was kept in balance. Every now and then one of the parties managed to gain an advantage, but the enemy eventually took revenge. In the 20th century, the situation changed radically. The Templars launched a decisive offensive on all fronts. It was they who, seeking to increase their influence, unleashed the Second World War.

Toward the end of the century, the templars managed to infiltrate the "mole" Daniel Cross into the ranks of the assassins. Thanks to this, they found and destroyed the main bases of the order. Having suffered the most serious losses, the Assassins were weakened and were forced to operate even more covertly than usual.

The Templars, in the 20th century, acquired a public face: the Abstergo Industries corporation became the facade of their order. The scope of her interests, both official and secret, is very extensive. But, perhaps, the main project of the company was the creation of "Animus", a machine that allows you to explore the genetic memory of a person, "plunging" into the life of his ancestors.

In 2012, Abstergo kidnapped a young man, Desmond Miles. He could boast of an outstanding pedigree: among his ancestors were Altair, Ezio and Kenway. For a time, Desmond served as Abstergo's guinea pig, but with the help of modern-day Assassins, he managed to escape.

The Assassins succeeded in recreating the technology of the Animus, and Desmond continued to investigate the life of his ancestors. This made it possible to find the temples of the Forerunners and prevent a repeat of the catastrophe that ended their civilization. True, for the sake of this, Desmond had to unleash the insidious consciousness of Juno, which "settled" on the Internet.

Through the efforts of Desmond and his comrades, the death of civilization was prevented. But the secret war over how our world will be has continued, and now a third force has joined in.

animus

Animus was developed by Abstergo in the 1970s based on Forerunner technology. Although the development was carried out in secret, in 1977 the Assassins managed to steal the blueprints of the machine and create their own version. The first tests showed not only the huge potential, but also the danger of the Animus. People who used early versions of the machine went crazy every now and then. The “leakage effect” caused the memories of the ancestor to mix with reality in the mind of the person. But the same effect allowed the user of the Animus to adopt the abilities and skills of an ancestor. So Desmond Miles, without long years of training, turned into an assassin as skilled as Ezio.

In 2012, Abstergo developed a new version of the Animus that allowed you to plunge into the life of a person, even without having a genetic connection with him. It was enough to load the appropriate genetic material into the machine. So, Abstergo managed to get hold of Desmond's body and investigate the lives of his ancestors. The new version of Animus was not only used to study the past, but also released under the guise of a game for open sale - to conduct propaganda, presenting the events of the past in a light favorable to the Templars.

In the Assassin's Creed movie, we'll see another version of the Animus that looks like a giant metal claw. It allows you not just to immerse yourself in memories, but to physically experience them - to run, jump and fight, as the ancestor did.

In all games of the series, events unfold both in the past and in the present. In the fragments set in the present day, the gameplay was very limited and was limited mainly to dialogue and puzzle solving, revealing the secrets of the Assassin's Creed universe.

Until the third part of the series, Desmond Miles was the “hero of our time”. He went from a helpless victim who does not understand what is happening to a real assassin, ready to sacrifice himself to save humanity. Subsequently, he was replaced by nameless heroes exploring the past of the Assassins and the Templars. These heroes serve as incarnations of the player in the world of Assassin's Creed. They, in fact, do not have their own history, unlike Desmond.

The development of the Assassin's Creed series in recent years has been very intensive. Every year since 2009, at least one new game in the series has been released. And besides them, spin-offs were regularly released - for example, for mobile platforms, cartoons, books, comics and a host of other related products. In a relatively short period of time, Ubisoft has built one of the largest and most successful gaming franchises, a universe that spans many countries and eras, is replete with interesting conflicts and intriguing mysteries.

In 2016, the developers took a break and did not release a new part of the series. We hope that this respite will help Ubisoft to give the series a new impetus for development. The absence of a new part is fully compensated by the release of a feature film starring Michael Fassbender. "Assassin's Creed" becomes a new leap of faith for the franchise into the unknown - this time into the world of cinema.

Assassins - a secret sectarian organization of neo-Ismaili-Nizari, formed in Iran at the end of the 11th century as a result of a split in Ismailism. Founder - Hasan ibn Sabbah. The ruling elite of the Assassins (large feudal lords) practiced them as a means of political struggle and the murder of their opponents. The center of the Assassins was Alamut Castle in Iran. The activities of the Assassins spread to Iran, Syria and Lebanon. A characteristic feature of the teachings of the Assassins from the middle of the 12th century was the deification of the imam, the head of their organization. The end of the existence of the Assassins in Iran was put by the Mongol army of Hulagu Khan in 1256. In Lebanon and Syria, the last blow of the Assassins was dealt by the Mamluks in 1273.

origins

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632, a split occurred among his Muslim followers. One of the branches of Islam, which has undergone more than one transformation in history, was the Ismailis - those of the Shiites who recognized the legitimate heir of Imam Jafar, his eldest son Ismail. The core of the religious and political doctrine of the Ismailis was the doctrine of the imamate: obedience to the imam-primate from the Ali clan.

Ismaili propaganda was a great success: by the end of the 10th century, the Maghreb, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Hijaz were under their rule. At the same time, rivalries and divisions within the Ismaili leadership intensified. At the end of the 11th century, the followers of one of the Ismaili groups - the Nizari, who operated in the mountainous regions of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran, created an independent state with a center in the fortress of Alamut (Iran), which lasted until the middle of the 13th century. In the practice of political struggle, the Nizaris, who were subjected to severe persecution by the Arab Caliphate, themselves widely used terrorist methods.

There is a legend that the perpetrators of terrorist acts used drugs (hashish), for which they were sometimes called "hashishiyin". This name, in a distorted form, assassin, came into European languages ​​​​in the meaning of "murderer." The assassins were a secret society, whose members rendered unquestioning obedience to their master, usually called in European chronicles the "old man of the mountain." The Assassins were gradually trained by their masters to fight and kill for their faith. He, claiming to be a new prophet, explained to them that there were seven links in the chain of creation of the world, and divine wisdom is revealed at each point of articulation of the links as the initiate moves towards God. Initiates at every stage of knowledge received revelations that refute everything that was previously known. And only at the highest level was the last secret of the Assassins revealed: the kingdom of heaven and hell are one and the same.

Such initiates were called seekers. All the younger members of the society were accustomed to murder; they were stupefied with hashish, then led into a beautiful garden and tempted there with heavenly pleasures, inciting them to voluntarily sacrifice their lives in order to enjoy the same joys forever as martyrs. Such people were called fidairns (self-sacrificing); they often received instructions from the head of the order to hunt down this or that powerful enemy and, if necessary, defeat him. In addition, the head of the order could also do favors for his powerful friends and thereby oblige them; precisely when they needed to be freed from a personal enemy, he put his people at their disposal, who carried out the tasks entrusted to them as conscientiously as if they were acting against an enemy of the community.

"Mountain old man" or "Lord of the mountain" - that was the name of Hassan ibn Shabbat, the leader of the Muslim sect of the Assassins. Seventy thousand people, loyal to him and ready to die at one of his signs, made up a formidable power that many rulers from Iran to Scandinavia feared. No one could get away from Hassan's people. In white clothes, girded with red belts (the colors of innocence and blood), they overtook the victim, overcoming the most impregnable fortress walls and the most powerful guards.

And it all started with the fact that the vizier of the Sultan of the Seljuk state, Nizam al-Mulk, noticed the outstanding abilities of Hassan. He brought him closer to him and soon won for that post of minister. The "gratitude" of Hasan, who even became the favorite of the Sultan, was expressed in the fact that he began to weave intrigues against his patron. The wise vizier, having figured out in time the lust for power of his protégé and his desire to take the place of the vizier himself under the sultan, skillfully "set up" Hasan, denouncing him in a lie.

Anyone else would have been executed for such an offense, but the great Sultan took pity on his former favorite. They left him life, but took away all the titles, sending him into a distant exile to the north. From that day, revenge became for Hassan the meaning of his whole life. He decided to create his own empire, without borders and limits. And created. From the mountain castle of Alamut, an order was given to execute the Sultan and Vizier Nizam. Assassins successfully coped with the task assigned.

For thirty-four years, until his death, the "mountain old man" did not leave his castle: his eyes, ears and long arms with daggers were everywhere. The number of supporters of the secret emperor did not decrease, more and more young people replaced the dead or executed by Hasan. He personally killed two of his sons, one because he killed the day, and the other because he tasted wine (perhaps they died because they badly concealed their desire to take his place).

Judging by the stories, he also wrote theological works and often engaged in religious rites. The "old man" made sure that after his death the order was headed by the "most worthy". It turned out to be Hassan the second, nicknamed the Hateful and soon declaring himself a god, and then transferring power to his son Muhammad the second.

Devotion of followers

Sometimes Hassan announced that he was dissatisfied with someone, and ordered to cut off the head of the guilty. Usually the victim was chosen from those closest to the lord. When everyone already knew that the execution had been completed, Hasan invited a group of newcomers to his place, preparing for initiation. On the carpet they saw a dish with a bloody dead head. "This man deceived me," said Hassan. "But by the will of Allah, his lie was revealed to me. But even dead, he remained in my power. Now I will revive his head." After the prayer, Hasan made magical signs, and to the horror of those present, the dead head opened its eyes. Hasan spoke to her, asked others to ask her questions, and they received answers from a person they knew. Fear of the great power of the "mountain old man" grew even more rapidly. When everyone left, Hasan pushed apart the dish, made up of two halves. The man, sitting in the pit so that only his head was above the floor, asked: "Did I say so, lord?" - "Yes. I'm pleased with you." And after an hour or two, the head of the executed, this time severed for real, impaled on a pike, was erected at the gates of the castle.

The obedience of the faithful did not end with the death of Hasan. One of his successors invited Henry, Count of Champagne, to the fortress. When they examined the towers, two "faithful" at the sign of the "Lord" hit themselves with daggers in the heart and fell at the feet of the guest. The owner, meanwhile, coolly remarked: "Say the word, and at my sign they will all fall to the ground in this way." When the Sultan sent an envoy to persuade the rebellious Assassins to submit, the Lord, in the presence of the envoy, said to one faithful: "Kill yourself," and he did it, and to another: "Jump from this tower!" - he jumped down. Then, turning to the messenger, the Lord said: "Seventy thousand followers obey me in exactly the same way. This is my answer to your master."

Victims and allies

According to one story, the Persian caliph set out to attack the Assassins' base and destroy it. Once he found a dagger at the head and a letter from Hasan-Saba: "What is put near your head can be stuck in your heart." The mighty ruler thought it best to leave the sect alone. It is believed that Richard the Lionheart attempted on the life of the French king through the Assassins, there were also rumors that it was Richard who incited the Assassins to kill Conrad of Montferrat.

Two assassins allowed themselves to be baptized, and when a favorable opportunity presented itself, they killed Conrad of Montferrat and one of them hid in the church. But, hearing that Conrad had been carried away while still alive, he again got to him and struck a second blow, then died without the slightest murmur under refined torture. Barbarossa's nephew Frederick II was excommunicated by Innocent II for teaching the Assassins to kill the Duke of Bavaria, and Frederick II himself, in a letter to the Bohemian king, accuses the Archduke of Austria of attempting to assassinate his own through such agents. There is also a mention of an Arab who, in 1158, was caught in the imperial camp during the siege of Milan, with the intention of killing the emperor.

End of the sect

In 1256, even more ruthless than the Assassins, the Mongol cavalry defeated the secret empire and its capital, Alamut. In Syria and Lebanon, the Mamluks finished off the remnants of the sect. For a long time it was believed that the Order of the Assassins ceased to exist. And yet, the order, professing not only the struggle for faith, but also the cult of the warrior, continued to exist underground.

One French researcher discovered that in a small village between Isfahan and Tehran, the leader of the Assassins lives surrounded by guards and adherents, and they all revere him and obey him as a god. Other information about the Assassins dates back to the 19th century. Legend has it that some of them managed to escape and fled to India, where they joined the worshipers of the Hindu goddess Kali. It was the Assassins who founded in India a caste of hereditary killers known as tags (deceivers, murderers) or fansigars (stranglers).

Assassins today

Traditions were most strongly preserved in the actions of terrorist Muslim sects such as "Jihad" and "Hezbollah" and especially in the units of fidai. people fighting with weapons in their hands for the sake of an idea and ready to give their lives for a "holy cause".

If in the Middle Ages the killers were called assassins, then in the 20th century in Iran some fearless members of the people's militia in the revolution of 1907-1911 were called fedayins, and after the Second World War - members of the terrorist religious and political organization Fedayane Eslam, who made attempts on life political and public figures of Iran and the Middle East. This organization, founded by the Iranian mullah Navvab Safavi, was dissolved in 1949, but illegal groups like it exist in Lebanon and Iran to this day. And today, occasionally, their members are called assassins.

The Assassins are members of a secret religious Shia sect, the Ismailis. In Europe, the earliest mention of the Assassins dates back to the time of the first crusades. In their intelligence reports, the crusaders reported on the Grand Master of the secret fanatical Muslim sect of the Assassins, Sheikh Hassan ibn Sabbah. They were cruel murderers who knew neither doubt nor pity. The secret organization, which consisted mainly of Persians, with a rigid internal hierarchy and discipline, fanatical devotion to its leaders, as a result of terrorist activities and the atmosphere of secrecy that enveloped it, acquired an influence that did not correspond at all to its numbers.

For almost three centuries, this sect of suicidal fanatics terrorized almost the entire early medieval world, bringing mystical horror to it. From the Far Eastern Celestial Empire to the Western European court of Charlemagne, there was not a single person who could escape the death sentence passed by the Assassins. Not one Arab and European prince fell from their dagger. Despite numerous guards and high impregnable walls, kings were killed right on their thrones, imams, sheikhs and sultans found death in their bedchambers. Since then, in many European languages, the word "assassin" means "assassin" or, "assassin". In order to understand the reasons that gave rise to this terrible sect, the conditions in which it was created, to understand as deeply as possible the features of its internal structure and the processes that took place within the Assassin sect from the day it was founded to the time of its death, it is necessary to make a brief digression to the origins of the formation of Islam. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, when the question arose of who would become the head of the Muslim community, and therefore, a huge and very powerful state at that time, Islam underwent a significant split into two warring camps: Sunnis, adherents of the orthodox direction of Islam and Shiites, who were initially called Protestants in the Islamic world.

Some Muslims advocated that power should belong only to the direct descendants of the prophet Muhammad, that is, the direct descendants of Ali, the cousin of the prophet, married to Fatima, the most beloved daughter of Muhammad. Close kinship with the Prophet Muhammad makes his descendants the only worthy rulers of the Islamic state. Hence the name of the Shiites - "Shi" at Ali "or" Party of Ali ". The Shiites, who are in the minority, were often persecuted by the Sunni ruling majority, therefore, as a rule, they were forced to remain underground. The scattered Shiite communities were isolated from each other from each other, contacts between them were fraught with the greatest difficulties, and often a threat to life.Often, members of individual communities, being close by, were unaware of the neighborhood of fellow Shiites, since their practice allowed Shiites to hide their true, posing as devout Sunnis.

We are talking about the widespread among the Shiites, the so-called practice of "taqiyya". Its principle was that outwardly it is necessary to adhere to the views of the society around you, but in fact, complete trust and submission must be expressed only to your leader. Probably, by the fact of centuries of isolation and forced isolation, you can try to explain a large number of the most diverse, sometimes extremely ridiculous and reckless, sectarian offshoots of Shiism. The Shiites, by definition, were Imamis, who believed that sooner or later the world would be led by a direct descendant of the fourth caliph, Ali. The Imamis believed that someday one of the legal imams who had lived before would resurrect in order to restore justice trampled upon by the Sunnis. The main direction in Shiism was based on the belief that the twelfth imam, Muhammad abul Kasim, who appeared in Baghdad in the 9th century, would act as the resurrected imam and disappeared at the age of twelve. Most of the Shiites firmly believed that it was Mohammed abul Kasym who was the very "hidden imam" who in the future would return to the world and reveal himself in the form of the Mhadi messiah.

The followers of the twelfth imam later became known as "twelver". Modern Shiites belong to this branch of Shiism. Approximately according to the same principle, other branches in Shiism were formed. "Five" - ​​believed in the cult of the fifth Imam Zeyd ibn Ali, the grandson of the Shiite martyr Imam Hussein. In 740, Zayd ibn Ali launched a Shia rebellion against the Umayyad caliph and died in battle, fighting in the front ranks of the rebel army. Later, the Pyateriks were divided into three small branches, recognizing the right of the imamate for one or another direct descendant of Imam Zeid ibn Ali. In parallel with the Zaydids (Pyatirichs), the Ismaili movement was born, which subsequently received a wide response in the Islamic world. The dominant influence of this sect for several centuries extended to Syria, Lebanon, Sicily, North Africa, Palestine, and also, sacred to all Muslims, Mecca and Medina. The emergence of the Ismaili sect is primarily associated with a split in the Shia movement itself that occurred in 765. Jafar Sadiq, the sixth Shia imam, in 760 deprived his eldest son Ismail of the right of legitimate succession to the imamate. The formal reason for this decision was the excessive passion of the eldest son for alcohol, which is prohibited by Sharia law. However, the real reason why the right to inherit the imamate was transferred to the youngest son was that Ismail took an extremely aggressive position towards the Sunni caliphs, which could upset the existing strategic balance between the two religious concessions, beneficial to both Shiites and Sunnis. In addition, an anti-feudal movement began to rally around Ismail, which unfolded against the backdrop of a sharp deterioration in the position of ordinary Shiites. The lower and middle strata of the population associated hopes for significant changes in the social and political life of the Shiite communities with the coming to power of Ismail.

Over time, the Ismaili sect became so strong and expanded that it had all the signs of an independent religious movement with an Islamic bias. The Ismailis deployed in the territories of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Persia, North Africa and Central Asia, which were not yet subject to them, a well-concealed and extensive network of preachers of the new doctrine. At this initial stage of development, the Ismaili movement met all the requirements of a powerful medieval organization that had a clear hierarchical model of internal construction, its very complex philosophical and theological dogma, partially borrowed from Judaism, Christianity and small, sectarian cults common in the territories of the Islamic-Christian world. The Ismaili organization had nine degrees of initiation, each of which gave the initiate some access to being informed about the affairs of the sect. The transition to the next degree of initiation was furnished with inconceivable, very impressive mystical rituals. Promotion through the hierarchical ladder of the Ismailis was primarily associated with the degree of initiation. With the next period of initiation, a new truth was revealed to the Ismailis, with each step more and more moving away from the basic dogmas of the Koran. So, at the fifth step, the newly initiated was explained that the essence of the writings of the Koran should be understood not in the direct, but in the allegorical sense. The next stage of initiation after it revealed the ritual essence of the Islamic religion, which also boiled down to a rather allegorical understanding of rituals. At the last degree of initiation, all Islamic dogmas were actually rejected, even affecting the doctrine of the divine advent, etc. Excellent organization, rigid hierarchical discipline allowed its leaders to easily and very effectively manage an organization that was huge at that time. One of the philosophical and theological dogmas, which the Ismailis vehemently adhered to, said that from time to time Allah instilled his divine essence into the flesh of the Natiq prophets sent down to him: Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. The Ismailis claimed that Allah had sent down to our world the seventh Natiq prophet - Mohammed, the son of Ismail, from whom the name of the Ismailis came. Each of the Natiq prophets sent down was always accompanied by a so-called herald or "samit". Under Moses, Samit was Aaron, under Jesus - Peter, under Muhammad - Ali.

With each appearance of the prophet-natik, Allah revealed to the world the secrets of the universal mind of divine truth. With the advent of a new prophet, people accumulated new divine knowledge. According to the teachings of the Ismailis, seven Natiq prophets should come into the world. Between their appearances, the world is successively ruled by seven imams, through whom Allah explains the teachings of the prophets. The return of the last, seventh prophet-natik Muhammad, the son of Ismail, will be the last divine incarnation, after which the world divine mind should reign in the world, bringing universal justice and prosperity to the faithful Muslims. Within the Ismaili sect, a secret teaching developed, access to which only the highest levels of initiation had , for the lower strata of the Ismaili community, only the philosophical and theological dogma was intended, which served as a universal weapon for the bearers of the secret teaching. Gradually, the Ismailis began to gain strength and influence, as a result of which, in the 10th century, they founded the Fatimit Caliphate. It is to this period that the aforementioned spread of Ismaili influence to the lands of North Africa, Palestine, Syria, Yemen and sacred to Muslims Mecca and Medina belongs. However, in the rest of the Islamic world, including the Shiites, the Ismailis were considered the most dangerous heretics and were severely persecuted at any opportunity. Around this historical period, even more radical and implacable Nizarins, better known as the Assassin sect, emerged from the militant Ismailis. The Fatimit caliph of Egypt, Mustansir, deprived his eldest son Nizar of the right to inherit the throne in favor of his younger brother Mustali. In order to avoid an internal struggle for power, on the orders of the caliph, his eldest son Nizar was imprisoned and soon executed, which led to major unrest within the Fatimit Caliphate. Nizar's death did not prevent his name from becoming a symbol of open opposition. The Nizari movement so quickly gained strength and scope that it soon went far beyond the Caliphate and spread to the vast northwestern territories of the Seljuk state. Nizari uprisings constantly shook the Arab Caliphate. In response, the authorities were forced to apply severe repression against the Nizaris. Caliphs of Baghdad, Egyptian Caliphs, orthodox Sunni Seljuk sultans persecuted anyone suspected of heresy. So in the 10th century, after the capture of the city of Ray, by order of Mahmud of Gazanvi, a real bloody massacre was arranged. Nizari and other heretics were stoned to death, crucified on the walls of the city, hung at the doorsteps of their own houses... In one day, thousands of Nizari Ismailis found their death. The survivors were put in chains and sold into slavery.

Severe persecution of the Ismailis-Nizaris led to the deployment of a large-scale wave of resistance. By going underground, the Nizari Ismailis responded with terror to terror. The creator of the Assassin sect and the founder of the Ismaili-Nizari state in the mountainous regions of Persia, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, Sheikh Hassan I ibn Sabbah (1051-1124), appeared on the political scene. The Nizari expelled from Egypt actually seized the leadership of the Ismailis living in the regions of western Persia and Syria, headed by Hasan ibn Sabbah. Fled from Egypt in 1090, the leader of the Nizari Ismaili party, Hasan ibn Sabbah, settled in the mountains of northern Persia and began to recruit all disaffected under the banner of the hidden imam of the Nizari dynasty. Very little is known about Hassan ibn Sabbah himself, as well as his life, hidden from prying eyes, which only strengthens the aura of mystery that, during his lifetime, shrouded everything connected with this name. A native of the South Arabian tribes, Hassan ibn Sabbah was born in 1050 into a fairly privileged family in the small town of Qom located in Northern Persia. He received an excellent education for that time and could, thanks to the position of his family, count on occupying high government posts. However, a Shiite by birth, Hasan ibn Sabbah from early childhood was drawn to all kinds of knowledge, which ultimately led him to the Ismaili camp. Already in adulthood, he moves to Cairo, the capital of the Ismaili Caliphate, hoping to find support there. However, the Fatimid Caliphate by that time was in complete decline,

His choice fell on an impregnable fortress erected on a high rock Alamut, hidden among the mountain ranges on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The Alamut rock itself, which means "Eagle's Nest" in the local dialect, against the backdrop of the mountains seemed like a natural fortress. The approaches to it were cut by deep gorges and raging mountain streams. The choice of Hasan ibn Sabbah justified itself in every respect. It was impossible to imagine a more strategically advantageous place for the creation of the capital, the symbol of a secret order of assassins. Hasan ibn Sabbah captured this impregnable fortress almost without a fight. Later, the Ismailis also captured a number of fortresses in the mountains of Kurdistan, Fars and Alburs. Having taken possession of several castles in the west - in the mountainous regions of Lebanon and Syria, the Ismailis invaded the "future" possessions of the crusaders. The Assassins were lucky to some extent. Shortly after the capture of the Alamut fortress, the Seljuk sultan Melik Shah died. After that, for twelve long years the state of the Seljukids was shaken by internecine strife for the throne. All this time, they were not up to the separatists, dug in in Alamut. Having united the mountainous regions of Persia, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, Hasan ibn Sabbah created the powerful Ismaili state of Alamut, which existed for almost two centuries from 1090 to 1256. Hasan established a harsh lifestyle in Alamut, absolutely for everyone without exception. First of all, he defiantly, during the period of the great Muslim fasting of Ramadan, abolished all Sharia laws on the territory of his state. The slightest deviation was punishable by death. He imposed the strictest ban on any manifestation of luxury.

The restriction applied to everything: feasts, amusing hunting, interior decoration of houses, expensive outfits, etc. The bottom line was that all meaning in wealth was lost. Why do you need it if you can't waste it? In the first stages of the existence of the Alamut state, Hassan ibn Sabbah managed to create something similar to a medieval utopia, which the Islamic world did not know and which European thinkers of that time did not even think about. Thus, he effectively nullified the difference between the lower and upper strata of society. In my opinion, the state of the Nizari Ismailis strongly resembled a commune, with the difference that the management of the commune did not belong to the general council of free workers, but to the unlimitedly dominant spiritual leader-leader. extremely severe, ascetic way of life. In his decisions he was consistent and, if required, callously cruel. He ordered the execution of one of his sons only on suspicion of violating the law established by him. Having announced the creation of the state, Hasan ibn-Sabbah canceled all Seljuk taxes, and instead ordered all the inhabitants of Alamut to build roads, dig canals and build impregnable fortresses. All over the world, his agents-preachers bought up rare books and manuscripts containing secret knowledge. Hassan invited or kidnapped the best specialists in various fields of science, from civil engineers to doctors and alchemists, to his fortress. The Assassins were able to create a system of fortifications that was unparalleled, and the concept of defense in general was many centuries ahead of its era. In order to survive, the Ismailis created the most terrible special service at that time.

None of the caliphs, princes or sultans could have thought of going to open war against the Ismaili state of Alamut. Sitting in his impregnable mountain fortress, Hasan ibn-Sabbah sent suicide bombers throughout the Seljuk state. But Hassan ibn Sabbah did not immediately come to the tactics of suicide bombers. There is a legend according to which Hasan made such a decision due to chance. Numerous preachers of his teaching acted on behalf of Hasan, risking their own lives, in all parts of the Islamic world. In 1092, in the city of Sava, located on the territory of the Seljuk state, the preachers of Hasan ibn Sabbah killed the muezzin, fearing that he would betray them to the local authorities. In retaliation for this crime, on the orders of Nizam El-Mulk, the chief vizier of the Seljuk Sultan, the leader of the local Ismailis, was seized and put to a slow, painful death. After the execution, his body was demonstratively dragged through the streets of Sava and hung out for several days in the main market square.

This execution caused an explosion of indignation and indignation among the Assassins. Outraged crowds of Alamut residents moved to the house of their spiritual mentor and ruler of the state. Tradition says that Hassan ibn-Sabbah went up to the roof of his house and loudly uttered only one single phrase: "The murder of this shaitan will anticipate heavenly bliss!" The deed was done, before Hasan ibn Sabbah had time to go down to his house, a young man named Bu Tahir Arrani stood out from the crowd and, falling on his knees before Hasan ibn Sabbah, expressed a desire to carry out the death sentence, even if it was necessary pay with your own life. A small detachment of assassin fanatics, having received a blessing from Hassan ibn-Sabbah, broke into small groups and moved towards the capital of the Seljuk state. In the early morning of October 10, 1092, Bu Tahir Arrani, in some mysterious way, managed to enter the territory of the vizier's palace. Hiding in the winter garden, he began to patiently wait for the appearance of his victim, clutching a huge knife to his chest, the blade of which was prudently sprinkled with poison. Toward noon, a man appeared in the alley, dressed in very rich robes. Arrani had never seen the vizier, but judging by the fact that a large number of bodyguards and slaves surrounded the man walking along the alley, the killer decided that it could only be the vizier. Behind the high, impregnable walls of the palace, the bodyguards felt too confident and guarding the vizier was perceived by them as nothing more than an everyday ritual duty. Having seized a convenient moment, Arrani jumped up to the vizier with lightning speed and inflicted at least three terrible blows on him with a poisoned knife. The guard arrived too late. Before the killer was captured, Grand Vizier Nizam El-Mulk was already writhing in his death throes, covering expensive dresses with blood and red dust.

In impotent rage, the distraught guards practically tore the killer of the vizier to pieces, however, the death of Nizam El-Mulk became a symbolic signal to storm the palace. The Assassins surrounded and set fire to the palace of the Grand Vizier. The death of the chief vizier of the Seljuk state had such a strong resonance throughout the Islamic world that it involuntarily pushed Hasan ibn Sabbah to a very simple, but nevertheless brilliant conclusion: it is possible to build a very effective defensive doctrine of the state and, in particular, the Nizari Ismaili movement, without spending significant material resources on maintaining a huge regular army. It was necessary to create our own "special service", whose tasks would include intimidation and exemplary elimination of those on whom the adoption of important political decisions depended, against which neither the high walls of palaces and castles, nor a huge army, nor devoted bodyguards could oppose anything, so that protect potential victims.

First of all, it was necessary to establish a mechanism for collecting qualified information. By this time, Hasan ibn Sabbah had countless preachers in all corners of the Islamic world, who regularly informed Hasan about everything that happened in the remote areas of the Islamic world. However, new realities required the creation of an intelligence organization of a qualitatively different level, whose agents would have access to the highest echelons of power. The Assassins were among the first to introduce such a concept as "recruitment". The Imam - the leader of the Ismailis was deified, the devotion of fellow believers of Hasan ibn-Sabbah made him infallible, his word was more than the law, his will was a manifestation of the divine mind. The Ismaili, who is part of the intelligence structure, revered the share that fell to him as a manifestation of the highest mercy of Allah descended to him through the Grand Master of the Order of the Assassins, Sheikh Hassan I ibn Sabbah. He believed that he was born only to fulfill his "great mission", before which all worldly temptations and fears fade. Thanks to the fanatical devotion of his agents, Hassan ibn Sabbah was perfectly informed about all the plans of the enemies of the Ismailis, the rulers of Shiraz, Bukhara, Balkh, Isfahan, Cairo and Samarkand. However, the organization of terror was unthinkable without the creation of a well-thought-out technology for training professional suicide killers, whose indifference to their own lives and neglect of death made them practically invulnerable. and terrorist saboteurs. By the mid-90s of the XI century, the Alamut Fortress was the world's best academy for the training of secret agents of a highly specialized profile. She acted extremely simply, however, the results she achieved were very impressive. Hasan ibn Sabbah made the process of joining the order very difficult. Out of about two hundred candidates, a maximum of five to ten people were allowed to the final stage of selection.

Before getting into the inner part of the castle, the candidate was informed that, having joined the secret knowledge, he could not have a way back from the order, but this fact did not bother the young men, who passionately thirsted for adventure and another, in their opinion, more worthy life. One of the legends says that Hassan, being a versatile person with access to various kinds of knowledge, did not reject other people's experience, revering it as the most desirable acquisition. So, when selecting future terrorists, he used the method of ancient Chinese martial arts schools, in which the screening of candidates began long before the first tests. Young men who wanted to join the order were kept in front of closed gates from several days to several weeks. Only the most persistent were invited to the courtyard. There they were forced to sit starving on the cold stone floor for several days, content with the meager remains of food, and wait, sometimes in icy torrential rain or snow, to be invited inside the house. From time to time, in the courtyard in front of the house of Hassan ibn-Sabbah, his close associates from among those who had passed the first degree of initiation appeared. They insulted in every way, even beat young people, wanting to test how strong and unshakable their desire to join the ranks of the dedicated assassins. At any moment, the young man was allowed to get up and go home. Only those who passed the first round of tests were admitted to the house of the Grand Master. They were fed, washed, dressed in good, warm clothes ... They began to open the "gates of another life" for them. The same legend says that the Assassins, having beaten off the corpse of their comrade, Bu Tahir Arrani, by force, buried him according to the Muslim rite. By order of Hasan ibn-Sabbah, a bronze tablet was nailed to the gates of the Alamut fortress, on which the name of Bu Tahir Arrani was engraved, and opposite him, the name of his victim, the chief vizier Nizam El-Mulk. Over the years, this bronze tablet had to be enlarged several times. Since the time of the first assassin-murderer, Arrani, this list has already included hundreds of names of viziers, princes, mullahs, sultans, shahs, marquises, dukes and kings, and opposite them, the names of their killers - fidayins, ordinary members of the order of Assassins. The Assassins selected physically strong young men for their battle groups. Preference was given to orphans, since the assassin had to forever break with the family.

Now his life entirely belonged to the Elder of the Mountain, as Grand Master Sheikh Hassan I ibn Sabbah called himself. True, in the sect of the Assassins they did not find a solution to the problems of social injustice, but the Elder of the Mountain guaranteed them eternal bliss in the Gardens of Eden in return for the given real life. He came up with a rather simple, but extremely effective method for preparing the so-called fidais. The elder of the mountain declared his house "the temple of the first step on the way to paradise." The young man was invited to the house of Hasan ibn Sabbah and drugged with hashish. Then, immersed in a deep narcotic sleep, the future fidayin was transferred to an artificially created "Garden of Eden", where pretty maidens, rivers of wine and plentiful refreshments were already waiting for him. Enveloping the bewildered young man with lustful caresses, the beautiful maidens pretended to be heavenly virgin houris, whispering to the future assassin-suicide bomber that he would be able to return here only if he died in battle with the infidels. A few hours later he was again given the drug and, after he once again fell asleep, was transferred back to the house of the Elder of the Mountain - Sheikh Hassan ibn Sabbah. Waking up, the young man sincerely believed that he had been to paradise. From now on, from the first moment of awakening, this real world lost any value for him. All his dreams, hopes, thoughts were subordinated to one single desire, to be again in the "Garden of Eden" among the beautiful maidens so distant and inaccessible now. It is worth noting that we are talking about the XI century, whose morals were so severe that for adultery they could simply be stoned to death. And for many poor young people, in view of the inability to pay bride price, women were simply an unattainable luxury. The elder of the mountain declared himself almost a prophet. For the Assassins, he was the protege of Allah on earth, the herald of his sacred will. Hasan ibn-Sabbah inspired the Assassins that they could once again return to the Gardens of Eden, immediately, bypassing purgatory, on only one condition: accepting death, but only on his orders. He did not stop repeating a saying in the spirit of the prophet Muhammad: "Paradise rests in the shadow of swords."

Death for the Islamic idea is a direct path to paradise. Thus, the Assassins not only did not fear death, but passionately desired it, associating it with the gates of paradise. In general, Hasan ibn-Sabbah was a "great master" of falsification. Sometimes he used an equally effective technique of persuasion, or, as they now call it, "brainwashing."

In one of the halls of the Alamut fortress, over a hidden pit in the stone floor, a large copper dish was installed, with a circle neatly carved in the center. At the behest of Hassan, one of his assassins hid in a pit, sticking his head through a hole cut in the dish, so that from the side it seemed, thanks to skillful makeup, as if it had been cut off. Young people were invited into the hall and they were shown a "cut off head". Unexpectedly, Hasan ibn-Sabbah himself appeared from the darkness and began to make magical gestures over the "cut-off head" and pronounce mysterious incantations in an "incomprehensible, otherworldly language". Suddenly, the "dead head" opened its eyes and began to speak. Hasan and the rest of those present asked questions about paradise, to which the "severed head" gave more than optimistic exhaustive answers. After the guests left the hall, Hasan's assistant was beheaded and the next day paraded in front of the gates of Alamut. Or another episode: it is known for certain that Hasan ibn-Sabbah had several doubles. In front of hundreds of ordinary assassins, the doppelganger, intoxicated with a narcotic potion, committed a demonstrative self-immolation. In this way, Hassan ibn-Sabbah allegedly ascended to heaven. What a surprise it was when the next day Hasan ibn Sabbah appeared before the admiring crowd unharmed. One of the European ambassadors, after visiting Alamut, the headquarters of the Elder of the Mountain, recalled: “Hasan had just the same mystical power over his subjects. Wanting to demonstrate their fanatical devotion, Hassan made a barely noticeable wave of his hand and, several guards standing on the fortress walls, on his order, they immediately threw themselves into a deep gorge ... ". In the mountains of Western Persia, a real industry for the training of professional assassins was established, which today would be the envy of modern "special schools". In addition to the "ideological training" assassins spent a lot of time in everyday grueling training. The future assassin-suicide bomber was obliged to be proficient in all types of weapons: shoot accurately from a bow, fencing with sabers, throw knives and fight with bare hands. He must have had an excellent knowledge of various poisons.

The “cadets” of the killer school were forced for many hours in the heat and in the bitter cold to squat or stand motionless, with their backs pressed against the fortress wall, in order to develop patience and willpower in the future “carrier of retribution”. Each suicide assassin was trained to "work" in a strictly defined region. The program of his training also included the study of a foreign language of the state in which he could be involved. Considerable attention was paid to acting skills. The talent of reincarnation among the Assassins was valued no less than combat skills. If desired, the assassins could change beyond recognition. Posing as a wandering circus troupe, monks of a medieval Christian order, healers, dervishes, oriental traders or local warriors, the assassins made their way into the very lair of the enemy in order to kill their victim. (The same technique is widely used by some modern Israeli anti-terrorist special forces). As a rule, the assassins, after the execution of the sentence pronounced by the Elder of the Mountain, did not even try to escape from the scene of the assassination, accepting death as a well-deserved reward. Sabbahits, or "people of mountain fortresses", as the Assassins, supporters of Hassan ibn-Sabbah from among the Ismailis-Nizaris, even being in the hands of the executioner, subjected to savage medieval tortures, tried to keep smiles on their faces.

"Let the infidels see how great is the power of the Elder of the Mountain," the assassins thought, dying in cruel torment. Rumors about the Elder of the Mountain quickly spread far beyond the Islamic world. Many of the European rulers paid tribute to the Elder of the Mountain, wanting to avoid his wrath. Hassan ibn Sabbah sent his killers throughout the medieval world, never leaving, however, like his followers, his mountain refuge. In Europe, the leaders of the Assassins, in superstitious fear, were called "mountain sheikhs", often without even suspecting who exactly now occupies this post. Almost immediately after the formation of the Order of the Assassins, the Elder of the mountain, Hassan ibn Sabbah, was able to inspire all the rulers that it was impossible to hide from his wrath. An "act of vengeance" is only a matter of time. An example of a "delayed act of retribution" is a characteristic case that has come down to us thanks to the numerous traditions passed from mouth to mouth by the surviving Assassins. (From the time of the first suicide assassin, Bu Tahir Arrani, the memory of those who died for the "holy cause" was carefully preserved and revered by subsequent generations of assassins.)

The Assassins hunted for one of the most powerful European princes for a long time and to no avail. The protection of the European nobleman was so thorough and scrupulous that all attempts by the assassins to approach the victim invariably failed. In order to avoid poisoning or other "insidious Eastern tricks", not a single mortal could not only approach him, but also approach everything that his hand could touch. The food that the prince took was previously tested by a special person. Armed bodyguards were near him day and night. Even for great wealth, the assassins could not bribe any of the guards.

Then Hasan ibn Sabbah did something else. Knowing that the European nobleman was known as an ardent Catholic, the Elder of the Mountain sent two young people to Europe who, on his orders, converted to the Christian faith, since the so-called practice of taqiyya, common among Shiites, allowed them to perform the rite of baptism, to achieve a sacred goal. In the eyes of everyone around them, they became "true Catholics" who vehemently observed all Catholic fasts. For two years, they visited the local Catholic cathedral every day, spending long hours in prayer, kneeling. Leading a strictly canonical lifestyle, young people regularly gave generous donations to the cathedral. Their house was open round the clock for any suffering person. The Assassins understood that the only narrow gap in the protection of the nobles can be found during his Sunday visit to the local Catholic cathedral. Having convinced everyone around them of their "true Christian virtue," the newly converted Catholics became something taken for granted, an integral part of the cathedral.

The guards stopped paying due attention to them, which the killers immediately took advantage of. Once, during another Sunday service, one of the hidden assassins managed to approach the nobleman and unexpectedly deliver several blows with a dagger. Fortunately for the victim, the guards reacted with lightning speed and the blows inflicted by the assassin hit the arm and shoulder without causing serious injuries to the nobleman. However, the second assassin, located at the opposite end of the hall, taking advantage of the turmoil and the general panic caused by the first attempt, ran up to the unfortunate victim and delivered a fatal blow with a poisoned dagger to the very heart. The organization created by Hassan ibn-Sabbah had a strict hierarchical structure. At the very bottom were the privates - "fidayins" - the executioners of death sentences. They acted in blind obedience and, if they managed to survive a few years, they were promoted to the next rank - senior private or "rafik". The next in the hierarchical pyramid of assassins was the rank of sergeant or "dai". Directly, through dais, the will of the Elder of the Mountain was transmitted. Continuing to move up the hierarchical ladder, it was theoretically possible to rise to the highest officer rank "day el kirbal", which obeys only, hidden from prying eyes, the mysterious "sheikh el jabal", the Elder of the mountain himself - the Grand Master of the Order of the Assassins, the head of the Ismaili state of Alamut - Sheikh Hassan I ibn Sabbah.

It is impossible not to notice that the Assassins inspired many secret societies of East and West by their example. European orders imitated the Assassins, adopting from them the technique of strict discipline, the principle of appointing officers, the introduction of insignia, emblems and symbols. The hierarchical structure within the order of the Assassins was inherently associated with various "degrees of initiation", which is very typical for all Ismaili communities of that period. Each new stage of initiation moved farther and farther away from Islamic dogmas, acquiring more and more purely political overtones. The highest degree of initiation had almost nothing to do with religion. At this stage, such basic concepts as "sacred goal" or "holy war" acquired a completely different, diametrically opposite meaning. It turns out that you can drink alcohol, violate Islamic laws, question the holiness of the Prophet Muhammad and perceive his life as a beautiful instructive fairy tale legend. From all of the above, we can conclude that the top management of the fanatical Islamic sect of the Assassins adhered to "religious nihilism" or, to be more precise, "religious pragmatism", which was carefully hidden both from the outside world and from ordinary members of the sect, through which those or other pressing political issues. From my point of view, such polar views and assessments of certain social and religious-political norms are characteristic not only of the early Shiite sects, but also of other secret societies, religious concessions and political movements, an integral part of which, in one form or another, is the so-called " degree of dedication.

After 1099, the invasion of the crusaders and their capture of Jerusalem, the situation of the Alamut state became somewhat more complicated. Now the Assassins had to fight not only with Muslim rulers, but also with European conquerors. On November 26, 1095, Pope Urban II at the church cathedral in Klimond called for the start of a crusade to liberate Jerusalem and Palestine from the rule of the Seljuk Muslims. In August 1096, four columns of crusader knights moved in the direction of the Middle East from different parts of Europe. From southern France - under the leadership of Raymond of Toulouse, from Italy - under the leadership of the Norman prince Bohemond of Tarentum, from Normandy - under the leadership of the Duke of Normandy Robert, from Lorraine - led by Godefroy of Bouillon, better known as Gottfried of Bouillon.

Having united in Constantinople, the troops of the crusaders crossed into Asia Minor and captured the cities of Nicaea, Edessa and Antioch. On July 15, 1099, after a bloody siege, Jerusalem was taken. Thus, as a result of the First Crusade, which lasted three years, several Christian states were formed in the Middle East: the kingdom of Jerusalem, headed by Godfrid of Bouillon, the principality of Antioch, the counties of Tripoli and Edessa. The Roman Catholic Church promised the participants of the holy campaign remission of all sins. Nevertheless, the crusader army looked more like a rabble of bandits than the noble liberators of the Holy Sepulcher. The passage of the crusader army was accompanied by unprecedented robbery and looting. The invasion of the crusaders could be compared, perhaps with the plague. There was never unity in the ranks of the crusader knights, which Hasan ibn Sabbah invariably took advantage of. The impoverished European barons, adventurers and robbers of various kinds, attracted by the innumerable treasures of the rich east, created temporary alliances and coalitions that were never very strong. Crusader knights, trying to resolve internal problems, quite often used the services of assassins. Among the "customers" of the Assassins, there were also such knightly orders as the Hospitallers and the Templars. It was during this period that the word "assassin" entered many European languages, which acquired the meaning "murderer". Many crusader leaders found death from the daggers of the assassins.

Hasan ibn Sabbah died in 1124 at the age of 74. He left behind a rich legacy, a tightly woven network of beautifully fortified mountain fortresses ruled by fanatical adepts. His state was destined to exist for another one hundred and thirty-two years... The finest hour of the Assassins falls at the end of the 11th century. This is due to the rise of the state of the Mamluk Turks, headed by Sultan Yusuf ibn Ayub, nicknamed Salah ad-din, or Saladin, as the Europeans called him. Easily capturing the rotten Fatimit Caliphate, with which the Crusaders had signed a lengthy peace treaty, Salah ad-Din declared himself the only true defender of Islam. From now on, the Christian states of the crusaders in the Middle East were threatened from the south. Long negotiations with Salah ad-Din, who saw his highest destiny in throwing Christians out of the East, did not lead to significant results. From 1171, the most difficult period of wars with Salah ad-din began for the crusaders. This time, an imminent threat looms over Jerusalem, the stronghold of Christianity in the Middle East...

Small in number, actually cut off from the rest of the Christian world, weakened by internecine strife, the crusaders did not even think about further expansion to the Muslim East. The Kingdom of Jerusalem withstood one attack after another. It is quite natural that in such a hopeless situation they had no choice but to make an alliance with the Assassins. It was somewhat strange and unusual to see a Muslim-Crusader squad acting as a joint militia. By and large, the Assassins did not care with whom to fight and on whose side to act. For them, everyone was an enemy - both Christians and Muslims. Wealthy crusader princes, as always, generously paid for the services of hired assassins. Many Arab princes and military leaders fell from the daggers of the Assassins. Even Salah ad-din himself had to endure several unsuccessful assassination attempts, after which he survived only by a lucky chance. However, the alliance between the Crusaders and the Assassins did not last long. Having robbed Ismaili merchants, the king of the Jerusalem kingdom, Conrad of Montferrat, signed his own death warrant. From now on, the Assassins sent assassins to both camps.

It is known for certain that six viziers, three caliphs, dozens of city rulers and clerics, several European rulers, such as Raymond the First, Conrad of Montferrat, the Duke of Bavaria, as well as a prominent public figure, a Persian scientist of antiquity Abul-Mahasin, died at the hands of the Assassins, which provoked the wrath of the Elder of the Mountain, sharply criticizing the Assassins. When the Ismaili state reached its highest power, it was already very different from what Hasan ibn Sabbah laid down. From a medieval commune, the state of Alamut actually turned into a hereditary monarchy with a legalized tribal transfer of power. From among the highest ranks of the Order of the Assassins, their own feudal nobility stood out, which gravitated more towards Sunni liberties than Shiite asceticism. The new nobility preferred a social order in which luxury and wealth were not considered a vice. The gulf between the simple strata of the population of Alamut and the feudal nobility increased more and more. It is for this reason that there were fewer and fewer people willing to sacrifice themselves. After the death of Hassan I ibn Sabbah, his successors were unable to expand the possessions of the state. The slogans proclaimed by Hasan remained unfulfilled. The state of the Assassins was torn apart by acute internal crises. The former power of the Assassins was fading away. Although the Assassins survived the state of the Seljukids, the rise and fall of the great Khorezm power, the founding and collapse of the Middle Eastern states of the crusaders, the Ismaili state of Alamut was inevitably approaching its decline.

The fall of the Fatimit Caliphate had an acute effect on the stability of Alamut. Salah ad-din, having turned the Fatimit caliphate into a state of faithful Mamluk Muslims, began to inflict crushing blows not only on the crusaders. At the end of the 12th century, the Mamluk Turks, led by the famous Salah ad-Din, began to invade the Syrian possessions of the Assassins, and countless hordes of the Tatar-Mongols were already stretching from the far east. The assassins continued to act, despite the pressure exerted on them by the powerful Salah ad-Din. Sheikh Rashid al-Din Sinan, who at that time held the post of the Elder of the Mountain, was a fairly smart and strong politician who managed to maintain the sovereignty of the Ismaili state of the Assassins through deft maneuvering between Catholics and Sunnis. In the 50s of the XIII century, after the destruction of Khorezm, the troops of Hulagu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, invaded the regions of Western Persia. The weakened Ismaili state fell almost without a fight. The only ones who tried to offer fierce resistance to the invader were the defenders of the mountain fortress of Alamut.

The Tatar-Mongols continuously attacked the Alamut mountain peak for days, until they were able to climb the piles of their corpses to the walls of the mountain fortress. By order of Hulagu Khan, the Tatar-Mongols razed to the ground the mountain fortress of Alamut, the headquarters of the "mountain sheikhs", the rulers of the Assassins, which once inspired terror in the entire civilized world. In 1256, the mountain fortress of Alamut disappeared forever from the face of the earth. Later, in 1273, the Egyptian Sultan Baybars destroyed the last refuge of the Assassins in the mountainous regions of Syria. With the fall of the main fortress of the Assassins, the secret knowledge of the Assassins, which they had been accumulating for almost three centuries, was lost forever.

Seven centuries have passed since the fall of the Assassins. Much that is connected with their activities is fanned by legends and rumors. Was it the so-called "secret teachings of the Assassins"? It is difficult to answer now, but other questions arise along the way. How, for example, were suicide assassins trained? One promise of paradise is clearly not enough for a person to lose fear, interest in the world around him and cease to be aware of his actions. The terrorist organization "Islamic Jihad" also promises martyrs a direct path to paradise, but I witnessed how a suicide bomber at the last moment was afraid to set off an explosive device hidden on his body. No, mere brainwashing is not enough to prepare a fail-safe fedayin. What was "initiation"? Surely there was something very terrible, the possession of which was too dangerous to keep until today. Probably, we are talking about some kind of synthesis of medieval studies of Jewish cabalism and Islamic mysticism, the possession of which gives unlimited power over other people. Officially, the bloody sect of the Assassins ceased to exist in 1256, after the fortresses of Alamut and Memmudiz fell. Assassins, as before, at the origins of their origin, were forced to disperse over the mountains and go underground. Five years later, the Egyptian Sultan Baibars was able to stop and expel the Tatar-Mongol, but the Assassins never regained their former power.

Under the blows of the Tatar-Mongol, the history of the formidable sect of the Assassins ceased, but the existence of the Ismaili movement continued. The Ismailis lost the state, but kept the faith. In the 18th century, the Shah of Iran officially recognized Ismailism as a branch of Shiism. The current, direct descendant of the last Elder of the Mountain, Prince Aga Khan IV, took over the leadership of the Ismailis in 1957. However, the current Ismailis bear little resemblance to the formidable Assassins who have gone into oblivion.