The Assassins targeted Sunni rulers, not Crusaders
Evidence
Contrary to a widespread but erroneous belief, the Assassins were not pri marily concerned with war against the Crusaders, and comparatively few Cru saders fell to their daggers. Their enemy was the Sunni establishment, and their purpose was to frighten, weaken, and finally overthrow it. Their victims were the princes and officers of the Sunni state, and the qadis and other dignitaries of the Sunni religious hierarchy. Their emissaries, with negligible exceptions, made no attempt to escape, but died in the accomplishment of their mission. This was indeed part of the mission, and added greatly to the terror which they struck. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 1440
Categorization
Category: Contrarian or Surprising Claims
- QUESTION: How did the self-sacrificing-escape pattern keep recruits coming when death was guaranteed? Worth pursuing the sect’s recruitment and training.
- XREF: Connects to violence-as-signaling theories and to martyrdom traditions elsewhere, e.g. terrorist recruitment literature.
Related
- Assassins targeted Sunni elites, not Crusaders, despite popular belief. (similarity 0.95)
- The Assassins targeted Muslim leaders, not Crusaders, whom they served only as allies (similarity 0.90)
- Western reports miscast the Assassins as anti-Crusader when most victims were Muslim rulers (similarity 0.87)
- The medieval Assassins failed to overthrow any regime and ended as hired hitmen (similarity 0.81)
- Assassins spared the Templars because killing their masters was unprofitable (similarity 0.81)