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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group
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To: smolejv@gmx.net who wrote (149492)10/28/2004 9:41:43 AM
From: Sun Tzu  Read Replies (1) of 281500
 
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Ever since I was a kid I have been fascinated by the medieval Ismailis. Perhaps the best book on the subject (a good balance of charm, drama, and fairly accurate history) is "Lord of Alamut". But alas I have not found an English translation to pass on to my friends. Freya Stark's "The Valleys of the Assassins" is a charming book, though it contains as much folk myth as truth. For more objective look, I suggest you read "Mediaeval Isma'ili History and Thought" by Farhad Daftary (ISBN 0521003105).

For those who do not know, the word "Assassin" is from the Arabic word "Hashishin", or an user of hasheesh. Hasan's opponents explained away the undying loyalty of the Ismailis to their leader by a propaganda campaign that Hasan drugs his followers and takes them to a fake paradise in his castle to trick them into believing he can take them to paradise. I guess the principles of misinformation and propaganda never changes. Incidentally, the Feda'in were not a creation of Hasan's but of one of his followers who felt the need for a special forces unit (in addition to the regular military). They were trained in most major arts, from medicine to astronomy, to blacksmith and so on so that they could blend in anywhere. During the rule of Sanjar, they placed a dagger on his pillow with a note that their great respect and loyalty to the king prevents them from using it against his majesty. They were the embodiment of talking softly while carrying a big stick...anyway, thanks for the info.
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