The origin of the word "assassin" and ancient branches of Islamic fundamentalism

The Nizaris, also called hashshashin or assassins were a branch of the religious Shiite-Ismaili sect of the Middle East, particularly in Iran, Syria and Iraq, which was active between the 10th and 13th centuries. It acquired its greater power during the Fatimí dynasty, by its strategic activity of selective deaths against political and military leaders.

The origin of Ismailism and within this movement, the Nizarism, goes back to the death, in the year 765, of the sixth Shia Imam (religious leader) Ya'far as Sádiq and the discussions about his succession.

The Ismaelites did not recognize the death of his first-born son Ismail ibn Ja'far (Ishmael) proclaiming that he had hidden and would return as Mahdi (chosen imam, prophet) in the future.

In the period between the tenth and thirteenth centuries, the Nizaris became a clandestine proselytizing movement seeking to eliminate enemy political leaders. Its members were called "hashishins".

The founding leader of this sect was called Hassan Al Sabbah, known as "The old man from the mountain". The submission and faith of the members towards their leader was such that only one order of his was enough for any of the members of this sect to take his own life, also popularizing the legend of the suicide murderers.

Precisely the origin of the word is attributed the word "assassin" from the Arabic word hashishin or "consumers of hashish (product obtained from the psychoactive resins of cannabis). Some believe that it is an incorrect term that is believed to be used pejoratively by its adversaries during the Middle Ages.

It is possible that the term hashishiyya or hashishi in the Muslim sources was used metaphorically in an offensive sense (for example: "socially marginalized", "low class mob", etc), while the literal interpretation of this term in reference to the Nizaris (as drunken assassins who use hashish) may have roots in the fantasies of medieval Westerners.

Long after their near eradication in the hands of the Mongol empire many mentions of the Assassins were preserved in European sources such as the writings of Marco Polo, in which they were represented as trained assassins, responsible for the systematic elimination of figures of the opposition. From this originated the word in English "assassin" which was used to describe a magnicide differentiating from "murderer" (who is the one who kills voluntarily for reasons not necessarily political).

Today the word "assassin" was integrated with the meanings of "murderer" (English), "tuer" (French), "matador" (Spanish) to several European languages.

Examples are the words assassin in English, assassin in French, assassino in Italian and assassin in Spanish.