Assassins: Beyond the Legend is a groundbreaking new video series from The Institute of Ismaili Studies. This collaborative effort between Rehana Virani, from the Office of Communications and Development, the Ismaili Special Collections Unit, and ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ scholars seeks to uncover the dark history and legends associated with mediaeval Ismailis.Ìý
In the first episode, The Origins, Dr Daryoush Mohammad Poor sits with Dr Farhad Daftary, former co-chair of The Institute of Ismaili Studies and author of The Assassin Legends, to hold a dialogue on the origins of the assassin legends from anti-Ismaili polemics to Crusader fantasy.Ìý While the conversation is conducted in Persian, subtitles are available in English.Ìý
This episode addresses questions such as:Ìý
- What are the origins of the ‘assassin legends’?Ìý
- Did Ismailis use hashish (from which the term ‘assassin’ is supposedly derived)?Ìý
- What political and religious factors encouraged the spread of the ‘assassin legends’?Ìý
- What are the earliest sources on the ‘assassin legends’ from Ismailis and other groups?Ìý
Join Dr Daftary and Dr Mohammad Poor for episode two of Assassins: Beyond the Legend, coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified of its release.
