Adherents Of The Family Of 'Ali As The True Successors Of The
Prophet Existed From The Tragical Day Of The
Death of Husain, and among
these, probably owing to the secrecy with which they were compelled to
hold their allegiance,
There was always a tendency to all manner of
strange and mystical doctrines; as in one direction to the glorification
of 'Ali as a kind of incarnation of the Divinity, a character in which his
lineal representatives were held in some manner to partake; in another
direction to the development of Pantheism, and release from all positive
creed and precepts. Of these Aliites, eventually called Shiahs, a chief
sect, and parent of many heretical branches, were the Ismailites, who took
their name, from the seventh Imam, whose return to earth they professed to
expect at the end of the World. About A.D. 1090 a branch of the Ismaili
stock was established by Hassan, son of Sabah, in the mountainous
districts of Northern Persia; and, before their suppression by the
Mongols, 170 years later, the power of the quasi-spiritual dynasty which
Hassan founded had spread over the Eastern Kohistan, at least as far as
Kain. Their headquarters were at Alamut ("Eagle's Nest"), about 32 miles
north-east of Kazwin, and all over the territory which they held they
established fortresses of great strength. De Sacy seems to have proved
that they were called Hashishiya or Hashishin, from their use of the
preparation of hemp called Hashish; and thence, through their system of
murder and terrorism, came the modern application of the word Assassin.
The original aim of this system was perhaps that of a kind of
Vehmgericht, to punish or terrify orthodox persecutors who were too
strong to be faced with the sword.
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