Persian Brotherhood of Assassins

The Persian Brotherhood of Assassins was the branch of Assassins that operated in Iran. The Persian Brotherhood was originally a branch of the Hidden Ones who followed in the footsteps of the "Protectors of Persia", a similar group of resistance fighters from the region led by Darius, killer of Xerxes I of Persia. In 1090 CE, the Persian branch reorganized itself as the Assassin Brotherhood.

History

Achaemenid Empire

In 465 BCE, a Persian elite by the name of Artabanus formed a resistance group to oppose and assassinate the Achaemenid King Xerxes I, who was supported by the Order of the Ancients, a predecessor group to the Templar Order. His deed became renowned among the later Assassin Brotherhood, for it went down in their history as the earliest recorded usage of the Hidden Blade, their iconic weapon. For this reason, Darius was posthumously honored as one of their predecessors.

Assassin state

In 1090, Hassan-i Sabbāh reorganized the Brotherhood into a public state based in Alamut, a castle in northern Persia. In 1162, during Hassan the Younger's tenure as leader, the Assassin Al Mualim was sent to the Levant to expand Assassin influence, establishing another branch autonomous from Alamut. This led to the construction of Masyaf fortress.

After Al Mualim's successor Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad was exiled from Masyaf by Abbas Sofian in a 1228 coup, he sought refuge in Alamut alongside his family. The former Mentor remained in Alamut for almost 20 years, eventually deciding to return and reclaim Masyaf in 1247.

In 1256, the Persian Assassins in Alamut were besieged by the forces of the Mongol Empire led by Hülegü Khan. The Mongols had come seeking revenge for the 1227 assassination of their leader Genghis Khan and were then under the leadership of Möngke Khan, the founder of the Mongolian Templars. Hülegü later claimed the Assassins in Alamut put up no resistance against the Mongols and the fortress was subsequently destroyed.

Timurid dynasty

By the time of the Timurid Empire, the Persian Brotherhood still maintained a foothold in Persia. During the 15th century, the Persian Mentor sent the Assassin recruit Dariâ to Venice to aid in rebuilding the Italian Brotherhood's sub-chapter in Venice. ^{[citation needed]}

Afsharid dynasty

In 1747, Nāder Shāh's Captain of the Guard Salah Bey assassinated the Iranian ruler and hoped to retrieve his Piece of Eden, the Koh-i-Noor diamond. However, the Koh-i-Noor had already been passed off to Ahmad Shāh Durrānī, an Afghan chief who therefore became Salah Bey's next target.

Members

Seljuk Empire

• Hassan-i Sabbāh

Timurid Empire

• Dariâ

Afsharid Empire

• Salah Bey

Allies

Afsharid dynasty

• Achilles Davenport (Colonial Brotherhood)

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Rogue (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice