The Nizâriens , Nizârites , Nizaris are a mystical community Musulmane (shî `ite Ismaélien) active since XIe century. They are also called Bâtinîs or Batiniens because he profess a esoteric reading of the Coran. The bâtin being the secret side of the things.

In 1094, following an important scission in the Shiism ismaélien fatimide, a new preaching ( da `wa Al-jadîda ) was organized by Hasan-i Sabbâh, starting from the fort set up on the mount Alamut, in the South-west of the Caspian Sea. At the end of the the Middle Ages, the development of the community ismaélienne continued clandestinely under cover of the Soufisme and coincided with the rise of the Eastern ismaelism (twenty-five million faithful nowadays), with at their head the Âgha Khân.

Origin of the ismaelism nizârien

In the beginning, those which one calls Nizâriens are only the followers of the ismaelism in Iran, i.e. a minority Shiite community in an area under the supervision of viziers sunnites. Under the direction of their charismatic chief Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah, Ismaéliens take the control of the fort of Alamût in 1090 and extend their influence in Iran like in Syria.

After the death of the caliph fâtimide Mustansir Billâh, a serious scission occurred in the community ismaélienne about the succession with the Imâmat. Al-Mustansir had designated his/her son Nizâr like heir; on the other hand its young person Ahmad wire gained the support of his father-in-law, the vizier Al-Afdal who placed it on the throne with the title of Al-Musta `Li.

Hasan-i Sabbâh and Ismaéliens of Perse gave allegiance to Nizâr and its descent. Ismaéliens seized the fortress of Qadmûs in the area of the Jabal Bahrâ ` in 1132; Masyâf, the fortified town most important was taken in 1140 - 1141. Thus Ismaéliens nizâriens of Syria were directed by delegates sent by the Seigneurs of Alamût; most famous of them was Aldine Râshid Sinân (1162 - 1192) which directed preaching ( da `wa ) ismaélienne in Syria.

According to the version ismaélienne, Imâm Nizâr, after being itself taken refuge in Alexandria, was attacked on several occasions by the vizier Malik Al-Afdal. Finally the Al-Afdal army stopped Nizâr and its governor, and they were carried out in front of Al-Musta `Li. The governor was killed at once and Imâm Nizâr died imprisoned in 1096. Before dying, Nizâr designated his/her son Al-Hâdî to succeed it the throne of Imâmat and this last joined Hasan-i Sabbâh in Alamût. The Empire fâtimide was very weakened by the economic crisis and the lack of unit among Ismaéliens. Moreover, the military capacity between the hands of the vizier Badr Al-Jamâlî, a former Armenian slave, started to decline, whereas the capacity with Alamût remains until the 13th century.

According to Wladimir Ivanow and Henry Corbin, the grandson of Nizâr (Al-Muhtadî?) was brought to the fortress of Alamût by Hasan-i Sabbâh, which directed the countryside nizârienne in the name of Imâm. The situation was similar to the period of clandestinity ( dawr Al-satr ), which prevailed before the rise of the fâtimides, because Imâms remained hidden ( mastûr ) with the sight of the public to avoid persecutions of which they were the object. This period of the history is very confused, because we have very few historical sources ismaéliennes, the majority of the documents available are those written by the historians sunnites, the roughest adversaries of Ismaéliens nizâriens. The latter believe that the descent of Nizâr survived but it is remained hidden of the public to avoid persecutions. During this period of uncertainty Hasan-i Sabbâh was the official representative who maintained a privileged relation with Imâm to carry out the community through this turbulent period. Thus the historians sunnites, `Atâ-Malik Juwaynî (governor of Baghdad), Aldine Rashid Fadl Allah and the author of the entitled book Sargudhasht-i Sayyidnâ brought back to us a version partial and not-objective of the ismaelism which developed in Alamût. Hasan-i Sabbâh was at the same time a politician and monk. According to Christian Jambet, “it created a network of fortresses, making it possible to control the territory around, network which, consolidated starting from 1124 by its successor Kiyâ Buzurg-Ummîd, included/understood zones the such Rudbar with Alamût, center of the new convocation, the Daylam and the area of Qazvin, the stronghold of Girdkuh more in the east, not far from Damghan, the area of Ray, some positions with the Khuzestan, a strong establishment with the Quhistan, between Nichapur and Qâ' in. ”. The areas belonging to Ismaéliens nizâriens faced the various attacks of the army Saljûqs, moreover the Abbassides wanted to insulate Nizâriens in order to make them disappear from the area.

The son of Kiyâ Buzurg-Ummîd, Muhammad II, undertook in 1138 to consolidate the small territory nizâriens, until his death in 1162. Thereafter, as the period was more favorable and more peaceful, Imâm Hassan `Alâ Dhikrihi Al-Salâm, the legitimate descendant of Nizâr, fully assumed the responsibility the administration for the State nizârien.

“Great Resurrection”

In 1162, Hassan II succeeds her father (Al-Qâhir). It completely will upset the religious designs nizâriennes. August 8th 1164, it proclaimed the “Resurrection of Resurrections” ( Qiyâmât Al-Qiyâmât ) before an assembly of brought together believers with Alamût. This proclamation initiated the believers with the direction hidden ( bâtin ) of the revelation in order to reveal the truth ( haqîqat ), it had as a consequence the lifting of the religious law ( sharî `has ), not by abolishing it but by regarding it as a preliminary stage before completing it with the interior significance. The prophetic cycle of Mahomet from now on completed, Imâms had the role of revealing the hidden direction, by explaining the interior dimension of the Qur' ân, while going to the direction first, i.e. with the source of the revelation. Ismaélien nizârien Abû Ishâq-i Quhistânî of the end of the 15th century brings back an extract of the Great Resurrection: O you, the beings which populate the universes! You, geniuses, men and angels! Will know that Mawlâ-nâ (our Lord) is Résurrecteur ( Qâ' im Al-Qiyâma ). He is the Lord of the beings, he is the Lord who is the absolute existence ( wujûd mutlaq ), thus excluding any existential determination, because he transcends them all. He opens the door of his mercy, and by the light of its knowledge the weather is that all to be is conspicuous, hearing, speaking, alive for eternity. The reign of Hassan `Alâ Dhikrihi Al-Salâm was short, it is killed by wound in 1166. Its successor Imâm Nûr Aldine Muhammad continued this spiritual mission until in 1210. Imâm following Aldine Jalâl Hassan proclaimed that the community entered again during a time of clandestinity (satr). Hassan III put more emphase on the sharî `has in order to establish good relationships with the sunnites, that enabled him to acquire new territories. His/her son Muhammad III gave a little less importance to the sharî `has , it restructured the doctrines and the practice of the dissimulation of the faith ( taqiyya ) was restored to enter again in period of clandestinity ( satr ).

Nizâriens and Crusaders in Syria

According to Isabelle Baudron, the relations between the Templier S and Ismaéliens d' Alamût are attested in the chronicle of Jean de Joinville, biographer of holy Louis. The author reports the visit of the Vieux of the Mountain, chief of Nizâriens, with Acre. He is then received by the king Louis IX. Beyond this meeting, there is an exchange of gifts between the two sovereigns, made possible by a Breton preaching friar who spoke Arabic. Several times, Nizâriens returned visit to the crossed to Acre and in particular to the Hospitaliers. The Old man of the Mountain had asked for the assistance of St Louis against the Mongolian which invaded the Perse (and which ended up taking Alamût) (See the colourful account of the meeting between the emissary of Alamût and holy Louis). The Druzes of Lebanon which are rather close to the ismaéliens would have transmitted to Templiers certain lesson esoteric S.

Templiers played a part of intermediaries with the Muslim world. Like Ismaéliens, they were knights who believed in same God, and fought the Mongolian invaders. They undertook to work together at the cultural and religious levels: Templiers learned the use of the Arab numerals, the Astronomie, etc, that the pope Sylvestre II had already introduced in Occident two centuries earlier, and acquired a level of evolution higher than that their contemporaries, from where the economic advancement of the Order and its independence with respect to the authorities.

Decline

The State ismaélien in Alamût ended in XIIIe century with the invasion of Mongolian directed by the conqueror Houlagou Khan; Aldine Rukh Khurshah was assassinated during this invasion towards 1257. Then the ismaelism nizârien remained in Persia, hidden under the coat of the Soufisme; a beginning of emigration towards the India amorça.

Descendants

One knows little about the history of Nizâriens during the time which followed the destruction and the massacres of the Mongols. What remains community disperses in isolated groups and tries to survive most discreetly possible, always under the threat of persecutions of the Moslems sunnites. The movement knows a certain resurgence at the 15th century. The Iranian small town of Anjudan is selected like sits of the community and of the missionaries are sent in India and Central Asia.

At the 19th century, Hassan `Ali Shâh, Imâm heir to the long succession of Imâms ismaéliens nizâriens, receives the title of Aga Khan of the hands of the Shâh of Iran. Obliged to leave Iran for political reasons, Hassan “Ali Shâh settles in India. The British administration forces the Khôja S to recognize it like their Imâm, much refused. Nowadays, it is prince Shâh Karim Al-Husaynî Aga Khan IV which directs the community ismaélienne.

The Imams nizâriens of

Notes in connection with the nizârites

Doctrines of the Your `lim

Often definite like the teaching of Imâm, the doctrines of your `lîm were developed more particularly by Hasan-i Sabbâh. Al-Ghazali used the word of your `lîmiyya to indicate Ismaéliens in order to attack them with an especially violent hostility in its treaty Kitâb Al-Mustazhirî . Ismaéliens in general do not follow the literal direction of the Qur' ân, but much more the direction esoteric ( bâtin ) which is given by Imâm; this teaching is called commonly ( your `lîm ). Thus Ismaéliens grant much importance to the spiritual interpretation ( ta' wîl ) which consists in discovering the direction hidden behind the to zâhir. The ta' wîl given by Imâm clears up the allegorical verses of Coran and gives the direction esoteric of realities transcendantales ( haqâ' iq ). Thanks to this teaching your `lîm the believer ( murîd ) with opportunity of knowing and of linking themselves in Déité. The Charia|sharî `has in the direction of literal religion is nevertheless useful in the ismaelism it constitutes the first stage of initiation. As Imâm is Sâmit (Quiet) it is not him which teaches the mustajîb S (neophytes), it is the Hujja which transmits the your `lîm of Imâm. Thanks to its divine inspiration ( ta' yîd ) and its pure reasoning ( `aqlânî ) the Hujja is able to transmit the teaching of Imâm to the follower. The man left with itself is unable to perceive spiritual realities, because this one with tendency to associate with Déité anthropomorphic qualities.

During the Cycle of Epiphany ( Dawr Al-kashf ) where Imâm appears completely; the to zâhir and the bâtin are in concomitance; the followers know the bâtin to zâhir , the presence of the Hujja is not thus more necessary. There is not thus more your `lîm .

Etymology of assassin

Does there exist an etymological bond between the terms Haschisch and assassin ? On this subject, the divergent opinion. In the treasure of the French language, one can read the thesis which largely prevailed in Occident since the Croisades until our days: the term assassin comes from Italian assassino, assessino , itself borrowed from Arabic hashishiyyin , name given to Ismaëliens of Syria by their enemies, and appointing the consumers of haschich. This etymology and the legend which accompanies it nourished the imagination of many authors, among whom one can quote the Slovenien writer Vladimir Bartol ( Alamut ), the scenario writer and draftsman of band-drawn Italian Hugo Pratt ( the gilded House of Samarkand ). Since the Attacks of September 11th, finally, some would like to establish parallels, if not a filiation, between the methods (supposed) of the sect of the assassins and those of Al-Qâ `Ida.

This grid of reading however is called into question on several levels.

1. Initially, at the time of the voyage of Marco Polo, Alamut is nothing any more but one ruin, which weakens considerably the range of its testimony: as opposed to what he claims, he was not the direct eyewitness of the facts that he reports. Its testimony does not mention besides explicitly the hashish in the conditioning of the fedayins, but “ some breuvaige with drinking, by the means of which ilz eftoient incontinent disturb of their efperit, & venoient to sleep deeply ”.
2. Then, on the pharmacological level, the hashish at first sight does not appear the substance drawn from the vegetable kingdom the most indicated to condition men with the political assassination, nor to facilitate its execution ( timing , essential psychomotor coordination for the approach of the target)… Let us recall that at that time, the Arab pharmacopeia calls in a current way with the Opium and the solanaceous ones which will be qualified at the 19th century of heroic (jusquiame, belladonna). The Lebanese psychiatrist Antoine Boustany analyzes the reports/ratios of the haschischins 12th century and terrorists of Modern times with drug: “ has my opinion, charge and rumor are stripped of base and are not in conformity with reality at this crack corps. To present like vulgar drug addicts or patients acting under the effect of toxic substances raises of the aberration, an ignorance of the facts and in extreme cases of the denigration. But to say that they are driven by a " drogue" without syringe, divine or ideological, account of reality returns better and appears more satisfactory for the spirit. ”
3. Lastly, the French orientalist Henry Corbin leans for a fantasmatic mental construction, and speaks about “ Romance black which darkened a long time the name of Ismaélisme in absence of authentic texts. The persons in charge are undoubtedly, initially, the imagination of Croisés and that of Marco Polo. But at the 19th century still, a man of letters and Austrian orientalist von Hammer-Purgstall projecting… its obsession of the “secret societies”, suspected them of all the crimes that in Europe the ones allotted to the Francs-Maçons, the others with the Jésuite S; it resulted this " from it; Geschichte der Assassinen" of 1818, which passed a long time for serious. In its Woodland turn, of Sacy, in its " Exposed religion of the Druze s" of 1838, supports with passion its etymological explanation of the word " Assassins " by the Hashshâshîn (those which make use of the hashîsh ). Strangest is that Orientalists were done thus, in company of avid authors of sensational, the accomplices, until our days, of this anti-ismaélienne rumor which would originate in the Abbasid Califat of Baghdad. Wladimir Ivanow and the " Ismaili Society" from Karachi (in the past in Bombay), contradict this etymology. ” Bernard Lewis in her book translated and prefaced in 1984 by Maxime Rodinson, makes this same criticism by excluding the possibility that the word assassin comes from Arabic Hashshâshîn but he does not propose an alternative solution.

Amin Maalouf, gives in its novel Samarkand (putting in scene, inter alia, Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah), a different etymology. The word would come from asâs , which means “base, base”. “ According to the texts which reached us of Alamout, Hassan liked to call her followers " Assassiyoun" , those which are faithful to Assas, with the " Fondement" faith, and it is this word, badly included/understood foreign travellers, who seemed to have relents of haschich. ”

See too

Internal bonds

• Assassin: page of homonymy

Additional bonds

• Etymology of “assassin”

• the “Sect of the Assassins” through the Medieval Chronicles

• Isabelle Baudron, “connections between the templiers and assassins”

• the Anti-Caliph (August 24th, 2006) by Peter Lamborn Wilson. This text of Peter Lamborn Wilson has as an main object the mystic of Shi' ism ismaélien, and more particularly of the group of Nizârîs. Its access is rather difficult and this is why it seemed important to us, in addition to the translation, to provide to the reader some introductory notes as well as explanatory notes of certain terms suitable for the Islam and the mystic of the Green Man

• http://ismaili.net/mirrors/Ismaili_150/ismaili.html Ismaélisme], an article which covers the whole of the ismaelism until the current period.

• Explanation of Bernard Cerquiglini in images

Works

• 1807 Jean de Joinville. Memoirs off John Lord de Joinville , translated per T. Johnes Hafod.
• 1818 von Hammer-Purgstall. Geschichte der Assassinen .
• 1838 Sylvestre de Sacy. Exposed religion of the Druzes .
• 1891 Nizâm Al-Mûlk. Treaty of government , transl. Schefer, Paris.
• 1938 Wladimir Ivanow. “Nap Ismaili Strongholds in Persia” Islamic Culture . Vol. 12, pp. 383-396.
• 1938 Ivanow Wladimir. “Tombs off nap Persian Ismaili Imams” Newspaper off Bombay Branch off the Royal Asiatic Society , Vo. 14, pp. 63-72.
• 1955 Marshall G.S. Hodgson. The Order off Assassins , $the Hague.
• 1958 J.A. Boyle. The History off the World Conqueror by Go-AD-DIN ATA-malik Juvaini , Manchester, flight 2.
• 1960 Ivanow Wladimir. Alamût and Lamasar . Teheran, Association ismaélienne.
• 1965 Henry Corbin. “Eighth Centenary of Alamût”, Mercure de France , pp. 285-304.
• 1984 : Bernard Lewis Assassins, Terrorism and policy in medieval Islam ] (Editions Complexes)
• 1986 Henry Corbin, Histoire of philosophy Islamique , Paris, Gallimard
• 1988: Amin Maalouf writes the novel Samarkand , in which it disputes the etymology of the term assassin .
• 1990 : Christian Jambet wrote a study supplements " The Great Resurrection of Alamût - forms of freedom in Shî' ism ismaélien" at Lagrasse, Verdier. To see on the site of the editor the very interesting report that made Benny Levy then of it: .
• 1990 Farhad Daftary. The Ismâ`îlî: Their History and Doctrines . Cambridge University Near.
• 1996 Aldine Nasîr Tûsî. Rawdat Al-taslîm , translated by Christian Jambet in the Convocation of Alamût , Lagrasse, Verdier.
• 2002 Diana Steigerwald. “The Multiple Facets off Isma `ilism.” Sacred Web: With Newspaper off Tradition and Modernity . Vol. 9, pp. 77-87.
• 2006 Diana Steigerwald. “Ismâ `îlî Your' wîl” in The Blackwell Companion to the Qur' ân , pp. 386-400. Under the direction of Andrew Rippin. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2006.

Random links:

Saint-Avit-of-Vialard | Jean-Marie Bonnal | John Jensen | Franco-Chinese relations | Sofiane Bengorine