Saladin's Diplomacy with the Assassins

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Saladin's fraught relationship with the Hashashin, the famed Assassins of the Syrian mountains. The episode delves into the Assassins' origins as a sect of the Nizari Ismailis, their fortress at Masyaf, and their notorious leader Rashid ad-Din Sinan. Saladin faced two assassination attempts by the Hashashin, leading him to lay siege to Masyaf in 1176. However, the siege ended abruptly after a mysterious incident involving a poisoned dagger left on his pillow. Lucas explains the strategic diplomacy that followed, including the assassination of Conrad of Montferrat, which the Hashashin were accused of, and the eventual truce between Saladin and Sinan. The conversation also covers the Assassins' propaganda tactic of fida'i (self-devoted agents), the role of the Hashashin in Muslim historiography, and how their threat shaped Saladin's policies in Syria. Listeners will gain insight into one of the most enigmatic groups of the Crusades and how Saladin navigated the delicate balance of confronting and coexisting with them. #Saladin #Hashashin #Assassins #Masyaf #RashidDinSinan #NizariIsmaili #Ayyubid #Crusades #Diplomacy #MedievalMiddleEast #Syria #Fida'i #ConradOfMontferrat #SiegeOfMasyaf #Assassination #IslamicHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo