The history of the Assassins, tr. by O.C. Wood |
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Common terms and phrases
Abassides Abulfeda according Alamut Aleppo Alkami ancient Arabian Arabic army Asia Assassins Atabeg Bagdad brother Busurgomid Cairo called castle Christian command Crusaders dagger Damascus death descendants destruction Dilem dynasty Egypt Egyptian Emir enemies envoy faith family of Abbas father Fatimites favour Fedavi fell former fortress founder grand-master grand-prior Hamadan Hashish Hassan Sabah Hegira historians hitherto honour Hossein Hulaku hundred imam infidelity inhabitants Irak Islamism Ismail Ismailites Jelaleddin Kara Sonkor Kaswin khalif khalifat khan Khorassan king Kirdkuh Koran Kuhistan latter lord Macrisi Massiat Melekshah Mirkhond Mohammed Mongols Moslimin mosques Mostanssur mountain murder Nassireddin Nisamolmulk Nureddin obedience Omar Persian poet possession prayers princes prophet provinces reign Reis religion revenge Riswan Rokneddin Rudbar ruin Ruyan Sabah Salaheddin secret doctrine sect Seljukides sent seven Shah Sheikh Silvestre de Sacy sovereignty successor Sultan Sandjar sword Syria Templars Thaberistan thou thousand throne Tyre vizier word
Popular passages
Page 203 - (God is great ; God is great ; there is no God but God ; and Mohammed is his prophet.
Page 34 - Softs have exhibited in their works. In the eighth, the positive precepts of religion were again brought forward, to fall to dust by all that preceded ; then was the pupil perfectly enlightened as to the superfluity of all prophets and apostles, the non-existence of heaven and hell, the indifference of all actions, for which there is neither reward nor punishment either in this world or the next ; and thus was he matured for the ninth and last degree, to become the blind instrument of all the passions...
Page 193 - ... earth for their golden domes. The patients in the hospitals and the students and professors in the colleges were put to the sword. In the mausoleums the mortal remains of the sheikhs and pious imams, and in the academies the immortal works of great and learned men, were consumed to ashes ; books were thrown into the fire, or, where that was distant and the Tigris near, were buried in the waters of the latter. The accumulated treasures of five centuries were thus lost for ever to humanity. The...
Page 88 - Kei to collect official information concerning the Ismailitic doctrines. He was told by the superiors, " Our doctrine is as follows : we believe in the unity of God, and consider that only as true wisdom, which accords with His word and the commands of the prophet ; we observe these, as they are given in the holy book of the Koran ; we believe in all that the prophet has taught concerning the creation and the last day, rewards and punishments, the judgment and the resurrection. To believe this is...
Page 34 - It is justly observed* that, as this last personage was not more than a century dead, the teacher had it in his power to fix on whom he would as the mute prophet of the present time, and inculcate the belief in, and obedience to, him of all who had not got beyond this degree.
Page 57 - Mairaun, the son of Kaddah, established seven degrees of his doctrine, for which reason, as well as their opinions concerning the seven imams, his disciples obtained the bye-name of Seveners. This appellation, which had been assigned, hitherto, to the western Ismailites, although they had increased the number of grades from seven to nine, was, with greater justice, transferred to their new branch, the eastern Ismailites or Assassins, whose founder, Hassan, the son of Sabah, not only restored the...
Page 135 - Paradise, soft as the cushions on which they reposed, and intoxicating as the wine which they presented. The music of the harp was mingled with the songs of birds, and the melodious tones of the songstress harmonized with the murmur of the brooks. Everything breathed pleasure, rapture, and sensuality. A youth, who was deemed worthy by his strength and resolution to be initiated into the Assassin service, was invited to the table and conversation of the grand master, or grand prior, he was then intoxicated...
Page 54 - Mohammere the red, because they wore, with their white costume, red turbans, boots or girdles, as formerly did the warriors of the princes of Lebanon, and at Constantanople the Janissaries and Bostangis as a body guard of the seraglio. Habited in the hues of innocence and blood, and of pure devotion and murder, armed with daggers (cultelliferi) which were constantly snatched forth at the service of the grand-master, they formed his guard, the executioners of his deadly orders, the sanguinary tools...
Page 33 - ... unrestricted oath ; on this he was admitted to the second degree. This inculcated the recognition of divinely appointed imams, who were the source of all knowledge. As soon as the faith in them was well established, the third degree taught their number, which could not exceed the holy seven ; for, as God had created seven heavens, seven earths, seven seas, seven planets, seven colours, seven musical sounds, and seven metals, so had he appointed seven of the most excellent of his creatures as...