«The essential work on the Assassins.»
— Times Literary Supplement

1955 facsimile | pdf
34.3mb [ rapidshare ]

09.12.09 update: added missing pages

The sect known as "the Assassins," a corruption of an Arabic word that means hashish smoker, is familiar to the West as a mystical cult of killers led by the "Man in the Mountain" encountered by the Crusaders. But it was not defeat at the hands of Christians that ended more than a century of Assassin rule; it was the massive and brutal invasion of Mongols from the East who conquered Assassin strong points and mountain fortifications one by one, crushing nearly all traces of this once fearsome sect. For nearly two centuries the Fâtimids, Shi'ite Muslims who believed Mohammed's daughter Fâtimah was his successor, attempted to control the Islamic world from their seat in Cairo.

Following the death of the Fâtimid caliphate al Mustansir in 1094, members of a faction in Persia that supported a deposed claimant to the caliphate, Nizâr, believed they now represented Fâtimid interests. These Nizârî Ismâî'lîs ended up separating themselves from mainstream Islam and creating their own state in parts of present-day Syria, Iraq, and Iran. In order to establish and maintain regional control, the Nizârî Ismâî'lîs used political murders and spies to subjugate or influence rival caliphates and the dominant Saljûqs.

Marshall Hodgson's first major book, The Order of the Assassins remains the most complete history of the Assassins. Beginning the story with the separation of Sunnis and Shi'ites and the rise of Ismâî'lîsm, an offshoot of Shi'ism, Hodgson traces the long and complex history of power struggles within Islam that led ultimately to the separation of the Nizârî Ismâî'lîs and their direct challenge to Muslim leadership. Hodgson goes on to explain the principles of the movement, provides an examination of their sacred texts, and follows the history of the group from the pinnacle of power in the mid-eleventh century to its legacy in the form of small pockets of followers in parts of contemporary Syria and India.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prefatory Note

I - INTRODUCTION : THE ISMAILI HERITAGE

Building an Islamic world
The Caliphate as framework for elaborating earlier traditions on a fresh basis. — Incipient Islam: Mohammed's demand for civil and religious purity. — Islamization of the Middle East. — The Sunni synthesis.

Isma'ilism as Offering an Alternative Synthesis
The Shi'a form of Islam. — Isma'ilism as a Shi'a sect. — The Isma'iliyya as a conspiratorial revolt.

The Fatimid Empire: Philosophy of Cosmos and of Man
Rationalism and the batin. — Occultism: the cosmic process of emana¬tion. — The cosmic return. — Position of the imam: typological conception of history. — The crisis of Isma'llism and the Nizart response.

The Traditional Interpretation of Isma'ilism
The revaluation of Fatimid Isma'llism. — The enemies of the Nizaris. — Von Hammer and the Western legend of the Assassins.

Vindication of the Nizaris
Problems of dealing with Saljuq and Ayyubid times. — Niziiri texts. — Ivanow and the modern revaluation of the Nizaris. — The place of a general history of the Nizaris.

PART ONE - THE ONSLAUGHT AGAINST THE SALJUQS
II - HASAN-I SABBAH AND THE ISMA'ILI CRISIS

The Confrontation of Fatimid Isma'ilism with Saljuq Sunnism
The breakdown of the Fatimid power. — Sunni culture in the Saljuq age. — Social atomization and religious integration. — Tableau of Nizari Times.

Hasan-i Sabbah's Labors
The youthful seeking. — The visit to Egypt (1078). — Hasan serves in the Isma'lll da'wa (1081-1090). — The taking of Alamut (1090). — Hasan-i Sabbah's figure at Alamut (1090-1124).

Hasan-i Sabbah and the Isma'ili Ta'lim
The leadership of Ibn 'Attash. — The Shi'ite doctrine of ta'lim. — Hasan's critique of the doctrine of ta'lim. — The role of reason in reaching universal validity. — The dehistoricized, absolute imamate. — Authoritarian community policy.

III - THE NIZARI REVOLT

The Nizari Schism from the Fatimid Government (1094)
The succession dispute between Nizar and Musta'li. — Motivation for the schism. — Justification for the schism: the problem of a figurehead. — The organization of an independent Nizari da'wa. — The succes of the Nizari da'wa.

The Revolt Under Way
The first uprisings: Rudbar and Quhistan (1090-1092). — The Isma'ili uprising finds its pattern (1092—1099). — Ambiguities of civil war.

IV - WAR WITH THE SALJUQS : DECISIVE PHASE

Methods of Struggle
The dar al-hijra ideal and the seizing of fortresses. — Isma'ili revolt in a Sunni setting. — The method of assassination. — Assassination as a weapon of desperation.

Rising Fortunes (1100-1105)
The disruption of the Saljuq power. — Isma'ilis intervene at the heart of the Saljuq power. — Unorganized anti-Isma'ili violence. — Saljuqs attempt repression. — Isma'ilis in Syria: their patron Ridwan.

Falling Fortunes (1105-1118)
Reversal of the Isma'ili fortunes in Syria (1106-1113). — Disorganization of the Syrian da'wa (1113). — Muhammad Tapar and the Saljuq counteroffensive (1105-1107). — The limits of Saljuq reconquest (1107-1118).

V - THE NIZARI STATE

Buzurg'ummid and Territorial Settlement (1118-1138)
The Isma'ilis among the amirs (1118-1126). — Defeat of the renewed Saljuq offensive (1126-1131). — Magnificent gestures from Alamut (1131-1138).

Definition of the Isma'ili Position in the West
Career of Bahram in Damascus: the Syrian da'wa revived (1125-1128). — Defeat and withdrawal to the mountains in Syria (1129-1140). — The end of the contest with Fatimid lsma'ilism. — The Hafizi-Tayyibi schism in the Fatimid da'wa (1130).

Isma'lii Policies: Assassination
Patterns of assassination and massacre. — Assassination at the request of non-Isma'ilis. — Assassinations and the local struggles for power.

Social and Political Structure
Nizari solidarity and vigor. — Raiders' life in Alamut. — Alamut as the center of the Nizari power. — Stability of the Nizari dynasty.

VI - REACTION OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD

Social and Legal Reaction: Proscription
The popular terror and scorn. — The legal problems of conformity by lip-service.

The Intellectual Response: Ghazzali and the Challenge of Ta'lim to Reason
Ghazzali's defense of a Sunni alternative to ta'lim. — Problem of authority solved in terms of history. — Ghazzali's "Balance" as answer to Hasan-i Sabbah's four propositions. — Variations upon Ghazzali's response later.

Imaginative Fruit
The legend of the garden. — The word "Assassin". — Legend of the three schoolfellows. — Horrified awe.

PART TWO - THE GOSPEL OF THE QIYAMA
VII - STALEMATE AND A NEW START: HASAN ALA DHIKRI-HI S-SALAM

Muhammad ibn Buzurg'ummid: Mountain Lord (1138-1162)
Persistent expectancy despite a local outlook. — Revolt in stalemate: campaigns degenerate to quarrels. — Nizari rigorism and the young heir.

The Proclamation of the Qiyama: Hasan II as Da'i and Imam
Festival of the Qiyama: the resurrection from the dead (1164). — Return of the imam: Hasan's claims. — The resurrection: Hasan as Qa'im. — Qiyama as ending taqiyya, fulfilling Isma'ilism. — The resistance to the Qiyama: Hasan is murdered.

VIII - THE PREACHING OF THE QIYAMA

Muhammad II: Devotion Oriented Toward the Imam (1166-1210)
Muhammad's interpretation of his father's claims. — The imam as revelation of God. — The beatific vision. — True viewpoint as salvation.

The Universe of the Qiyama
Indentification of Qiyama and haqiqa. — Existence as personal: tashakhkhus. — The deathless sage: Melchizedec as imam and qa'im. — The individual in the Qiyama: three levels of being. — Resolution of the emanational system.

The Qiyama as Declaration of Spiritual Maturity
The Christian analogy to the Qiyama. — Nizari ambivalence toward Sunnism.

The Qiyama in the World: its Lackluster (1166-1192)
Sunnism and the mystics: stolen thunder. — Sunni powers after Sanjar: dissension and the Syrian ghazis. — Muhammad's defensive peace in the Iranian territories.

IX - QIYAMA TIMES IN SYRIA: RASHID AD-DIN SINAN

Sinan in Syria: Consolidation Within and Without (1140-1192)
Military problems. — Sinan and his friend Saladin. — The internal administration.

Abu Firas' Portrait of Sinan: the Hero
Sinan as a one-man show. — The types of Sinan's wonders.

Sinan and Alamut: The Syrian Response to the Qiyama
Sinan as independent not in name but in effect. — The Fragment Nr. One: appearances of the Lord to men. — Sinan's version of the Qiyama. — Flavor of the Syrian haqiqa: unregimented hopefulness. — Popular Shi'ism. — Sinan's legacy in Syria (1192-1210).

X - RAPPROCHEMENT WITH SUNNISM : THE SATR

Romance and Reality Among the Sunni Powers
Clouds over Muhammad IIs reign (1192-1210). — Khwarazmshah and the Middle Eastern universal monarchy. — The Caliph Nasir and the civil empire. — Breach between Muhammad II and his heir.

Hasan III's Islamization
Restoration of the shari'a. — Hasan's authority at home. — Military adventure abroad. — Probability of Hasan's sincerity.

The Aftermath of Hasan's Conversion: the Doctrine of the Satr
The relaxation of Hasan's policy: transition into the reign of Muhammad II. — Adjustment of the Qiyama to history: a new mood shifts the meaning of old terms. — Satr and Qiyama as alternating periods. — Restriction of the privilege of wahda to the men of ta'yid. — Restrictions on the manifestation of the imam: hujja as sole channel of access. — The outcome of Hasan's demarche.

XI - THE LAST GENERATION OF FREEDOM

Learning and Life Under the Satr (1221-1256)
The respect for learning: Nasir ad-Din Tusi. — Tusi's Isma'ili work. — The Quhistani sense of dignity. — The Syrian lieutenants: high expectations. — Surviving Syrian literature: the fragments.

Hopes of Expansion
Fighting with the Khwarazm power (1221-1231). — Tortuous negotiations. — World-wide outlook.

The Death of Muhammad III
Muhammad's character: the dynasty in degeneracy. — War with the Mongols. — Crisis and murder.

XII - THE FAILURE OF THE NIZARI VENTURE

Retrospect

The End of the Nizari Power
Khwurshah's surrender (1256). — Khwurshah among the Mongols. — The revenge of Islam.

Afterglow
The Mamluk triumph in Syria. — Under Egyptian rule. — The Iranian Isma'ilis attempt a comeback. — The Nizari heritage.


APPENDICES

I The Popular Appeal of the Qiyama: Commentary and Translation of the Haft Bab-i Baba Sayyid-na
II Hasan-i Sabbah's doctrine: translation from Shahrastani
III Bibliographical Notes

Index

MAPS AND CHARTS

The Rivalry of Fatimids and 'Abbasids
The Lords of Alamut
The Nizari Risings (general map)
Chronological Landmarks 1072-1275
Genealogy of the Isma'ili Imams
The Periods of the Prophets Ulu l-'azm

Labels: [english[b], assassins, islamica

posted by n.o.  # 13:08

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