[The religion of Islám had no sooner become a power than divisions, feuds, and schisms broke out among its professors. Dissensions and heresies appear to be inseparable from all newly-established creeds, and the fervid Oriental temper, excited to the highest pitch by the worldly success and the intolerant fanatical doctrines of Islám, impelled professing Musulmáns to unparalleled excesses and most execrable crimes. The overthrown but uneradicated superstitions of the old religion, and the mystical theology and philosophy of nations with which the Muhammadans came in contact, had their share in the production and development of these heresies; but the acting moving spirit which gave them political importance was lust of personal distinction and temporal power. Thus the principal divisions turn upon the question of the rightful succession to the Prophet in the office of “Leader of the Faithful.”
One of these heretical sects, the Karmatians, appear on the scene very frequently in the present volume. This sect is an offshoot of the Isma'ílian heresy, and is often confounded with it. There were some points of doctrinal difference, but the uninitiated were ignorant of them, and unable to distinguish them; so the two names came to be often used indifferently. Orthodox writers, hating and despising the heretics, were prone to speak of them by some general name; or if they attempted to be more specific, their ignorance frequently led to a confusion and misappropriation of terms. Thus the title Isma'ílian includes Karmatians, Assassins, and others, and for the Isma'ílians the wider term “Muláhida, heretics” is often used.
The Isma'ílians do not admit the rightful succession of the Imáms recognised by the orthodox. They acknowledge 'Alí, Hasan, and Husain, but maintain that the line closed with Isma'íl, son of Ja'far Sádik, who was the seventh and last Imám. From him they take the name Isma'ílian, and from him also they are called “Seveners.” The teaching of the Isma'ílians put a metaphorical interpretation on the Kurán, which tended to explain away and supersede its doctrines, leaving only a negative religion, and substituting license for morality. The doctrines of the Isma'ílians were embraced by a man named 'Abdu-llah, son of Maimún, a native of Persia, who devoted his powers not only to the overthrow of Arab ascendancy, but to the subversion of Islám and indeed of all religion. His mode of action was by secret influence and missionary exertion. The culminating doctrine of his teaching was the vanity of all religions, and the indifference of men's actions, the good receiving no recompense, the evil no chastisement, either in this world or the next.
Among the followers of 'Abdu-llah was one named Ahmad, or, as he was afterwards called, “Karmat.” He rose about the year 278 H. (891 A.D.), and was the founder of the Karmatians. The term Karmata or Karmat belongs to a kind of Arabic writing in which the letters are very small and the lines very close. This style being well suited for secret communications, was adopted by Ahmad, and hence he was called Karmat, and his followers Karmatí or Karámata, anglicè Karmatians. Teaching the doctrine that everything desirable was allowable, he differed from his predecessors by endeavouring to carry out his views by violence, and began an open unrelenting war upon the ruling powers. In 290 H. (903 A.D.), the Karmatians made a fearful inroad into Syria, and in 311 (923 A.D.), they plundered Basra and Kúfa. In 319 H. (931 A.D.), under a famous leader, Abú Táhir, they took the city of Mecca with terrible slaughter, plundered the temple, and carried away the holy hijru-l aswad, or black stone, which they retained for twenty years. Ar Rází, the twentieth Khalif, actually agreed to pay them an annual subsidy to secure the safe passage of the pilgrims to Mecca.
The Fatimide throne of Egypt, founded by an Isma'ílian in 297 H. (909-10 A.D.), in rivalry of the Arabian Khiláfat, grew rapidly in power, and became a source of great jealousy and trouble to the occupants of the throne of Baghdad. Political rivalry thus combined with religious hatred to make the war between the faithful and the heretics most savage and unrelenting,
From the Isma'ílians sprang another sect which forced itself upon the notice of the Crusaders and introduced a new word, “Assassin,”* into the languages of Europe. This sect was founded by a native of Re, named Hasan Sabáh, who was schoolfellow and companion of Nizámu-l mulk, the well known wazír of the Saljúkí government, and author of the Majma'u-l Wasáya. An extract from that work, in page 490 of this volume, gives some account of this redoubtable character. The forcible removal of all foes and rivals by the dagger of the assassin, was the profession and the distinctive practice of this abominable sect. Nizámu-l mulk, above referred to, fell under their daggers, and the author of the Jahán-kushá had nearly become a victim to Isma'ílian assassins. In 483 H. Hasan Sabáh obtained possession of the strong fortress of Alah-amút, or Alamút (the eagle's nest),* in the province of Rúdbár, about eleven parasangs north of Kazwín, and here he and his descendants maintained themselves for nearly two centuries,* when the fortress and many others fell under the iron tread of the Mongols. The excesses of the Assassins had impelled Mangú Khán to determine upon the extermination of the whole sect of Isma'ílians, and under him and his successor Hulákú their fortresses were taken, and many thousands of their men, women, children, and babes at the breast, were put to the sword.
The Karmatians appeared to have pushed themselves eastwards
into the valley of the Indus at an early period. From Bírúní we
learn that the Karmatians destroyed the great idol at Multán, and
the heretical chief, whom Mahmúd of Ghazní drove away from that
town, was no doubt a member of this sect, for the name of Kar-
Mahmúd's wazír, Hasnak, was brought to the stake by Mas'úd
upon the charge of being a Karmatian. The personal enmity of
Mas'úd no doubt precipitated this act; but there is ample proof that
the Khalif was greatly incensed against the wazír for having
received a khil'at from the Egyptian Khalif, and that he had urged
Mahmúd so strongly to execute him that the incensed monarch broke
out in the indignant words recorded by Baihakí: “Tell the doting
old Khalif that out of regard to the 'Abbásides I have meddled
with all the world. I am hunting for the Karmatians, and where-
Though Mahmúd expelled the Karmatian chief from Multán, the
heresy was not suppressed, for in 571 (1175 A.D.), Muhammad
Ghorí once more “delivered Multán from the hands of the Kar-