The Assassins, a breakaway Shiite religious sect of the 11th to 13th centuries, were the most implacable group of killers in a region already notorious for its violence and lawlessness. They were famous throughout the medieval world – but, over time, they have become even larger than life, entering the language as a byword for the targeted murder of political or religious leaders, and morphing into the legendary heroes of modern conspiracy theories and video games (including the bestselling Assassin’s Creed). In 1114, however, the real-life Assassins met their match – in the unlikely form of a group of middle-aged women who decided they were not going to be pushed around any more.
More formally known as Nizari Ismailis, the Assassins were famously mysterious, and deliberately so. But we are fortunate that one very intimate account of a large-scale Nizari attack has survived. It was based on conversations with survivors who were lucky enough to make it through the ordeal. And it was recorded by one of their relatives.
Audacity was a vital ingredient in the Assassins’ success – their actions were often so outrageous that they took their opponents completely by surprise. Normally their operations were focused on just one or two individuals, but on rare occasions, they could be far more ambitious – even, in one memorable instance, attempting to take over an entire principality in an elaborate coup de main.
Ancient DNA and ‘Anglo-Frisians’