Curious about the history behind Assassin’s Creed? Read on to discover more.
In this multi-part special, we dive deeper into the history of Assassin’s Creed. In this first installment, we explore the origins of the series and uncover the truth behind the Assassins.
We’re all familiar with the successful game series Assassin’s Creed, which has been with us for many years. The game aligns closely with historical events, but what is the real truth behind Assassin’s Creed? And what are the origins of this history? In this multi-part special, we will take an in-depth look at the history behind the series.
The Background of the Assassins
Since the very first installment, Assassin’s Creed has depicted an ongoing conflict with the Templars. In the franchise, the Templars are consistently portrayed as the villains, but how does the real story unfold? The Assassins in the game are based on the historical group known as the Assassins, founded by **Hassan-i Sabbah**, a Persian Shiite. The Assassins were first mentioned in Europe by Marco Polo.
The Assassins were part of the Isma’ili sect. Isma’ilism, also known as the Seveners, is a branch of Shi’ism, which is itself a branch of Islam. Several significant political movements emerged from Isma’ilism, including the Qarmatians, Fatimids, Druze, and Assassins, with this special focusing on the latter.
Hassan-i Sabbah
Hassan-i Sabbah, who lived between 1034 and 1124, was an Iranian missionary of the Ismaili Nizari sect. In the late 11th century, he founded the community of the Assassins in the Alborz Mountains in northern Iran. He reportedly administered hashish to his followers to give them a glimpse of a paradise-like afterlife and motivate them to participate in wars and carry out assassinations. The word “Assassin” has a different meaning than commonly thought. The precise details remain unknown, but broadly speaking, the term “Assassin” is considered a corruption of “hashshashin,” meaning those who intoxicate themselves with hashish.
The English and French words “assassin” and “assassination” mean murderer and murder, respectively, and have carried this meaning since the Middle Ages. The Assassins were a secretive sect, often seen as the predecessors of modern terrorist groups, **although** opinions on this are divided.
By the end of the 11th century, the fortress of Alamut served as the headquarters of this movement. Alamut was a castle in the Alborz mountains, south of the Caspian Sea in Iran. The castle was built in 840, and in 1090, the Assassins captured it. On December 15, 1256, the Mongol ruler Hulagu Khan destroyed the castle.
The Assassins not only opposed the Crusaders in Palestine through violence and betrayal but also resisted many Islamic rulers. The Mongol conqueror Hulagu Khan ended this sect in Persia in 1256. The Mamluk Sultan Baibars ended their political existence in Syria in 1273.
Since then, nothing has been heard from this sect. Whether they continued to exist in secret remains unknown to this day.
This was the first part of a series of specials. In the second part, we will delve deeper into the Templars and the Crusades. This series may be released monthly, and we might later integrate it with visual and audio content.