Wikipedia's first sentence called it “iranian ismaili missionary who converted a community in the late 11th century in the heart of the elburz mounta”. Today it says “military leader”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “Persian religious and military leader”. It now reads “Ismaili religious and military leader (c. 1050–1124)”.
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Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
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The opening as it read in 2005
Hasan-i-Sabbah (in Persian / Arabic حسن بن صباح or حسن صباح ) (circa 1034 - 1124 ), or "The Old Man of the Mountain", was an Iranian Ismaili missionary who converted a community in the late 11th century in the heart of the Elburz Mountains of northern Iran.1The place was called Alamut and was attributed to an ancient king of Daylam .2When Hassan discovered Alamut, it was in the hands of a Seljuk subject. Hassan prepared the takeover of the castle by secretly converting its staff. With the household on his side, he was smuggled into the castle and began to establish his rule at Alamut. When the coccastle's residents realized they were no longer in control it was too late. Hassan graciously allowed the former tenant leave of his castle in addition to a draft of 3,000 silver dinars in payment for the castle. From this point on his community and its branches spread throughout Iran and Syria and came to be called Hashshashin or Hashshishin or Assassins , an Islamic mystery cult . Hasan was extremely strict and disciplined. The abrogation of Islamic law ( sharia ) occurred under a later Grand Master, Hasan II, in 1174. If hashish was used by the community (and this is uncertain) it probably also occurred later. Not much is known about Hasan, but legends abound as to the tactics used to induct members into his quasi-religious political organization. A future assassin was subjected to rites very similar to those of other mystery cults in which the subject was made to believe that he was in imminent danger of death. But the twist of the assassins was that they drugged the person to simulate a "dying" to later have them awaken in a garden flowing with wine and served a sumptuous feast by virgins. The supplicant was then convinced he was in Heaven and that Sabbah was a minion of the divinity and that all of his orders should be followed, even to death. This legend derives from Marco Polo , who visited Alamut just after it fell to the Mongols in the thirteenth century. He belonged to the tribe of al Hameer from Yemen. His ancestors were all Asna Asheri Shiites, but Hassan under the influence of Ismaili friends or probably a physician converted to Ismaili Shiism. The Paradise or "Firdous e Bareen" was the brainchild of Hassan Bin Sabbah, which was used to literally 'forge' Hashshishin, his most lethal weapon. He died on 26 Rabi utthani 518 Hijri in his abode, Alamut. The famous novel Firdous e Bareen written by Indian Muslim novelist Abdul Halim Sherer gives the biographical account of Hassan, a youth lured and captured by Hassan's men and then forced into his assassination machinery. The cult was responsible for the assassination of a number of Sunni scholars and rulers. Burroughs is one of a number of fiction writers who have incorporated Sabbah--himself or his ideas--in their work. Hassan i Sabbah is also the name of a now defunct screamo band.3
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 16332063.
The opening as it stood in 2010 22 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Artistic Rendering of Hassan-i-Sabbah Main article: Nizari Hassan-i Sabbāh ( , Hassan aṣ-Ṣabbāḥ , Hasan ibn Sabbah , Hassan Ben Sabbah . 1050s-1124) was a Persian Nizārī Ismā'īlī missionary who converted a community in the late 11th century in the heart of the Alborz Mountains of northern Iran . The place was called Alamut and was attributed to an ancient king of Daylam . He founded a group whose members are sometimes referred to as the Hashshashin .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 370519318.
The opening as it stood in 2015 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Hassan-i Sabbāh ( ; 1050s–1124) was a Nizārī Ismā‘īlī missionary who converted a community in the late 11th century in the heart of the Alborz Mountains of northern Persia . He later seized a mountain fortress called Alamut and used it as the headquarters for a decentralized Persian insurrection against the dominant Seljuk Turks .He founded a group of fedayeen whose members are often referred to as the Hashshashin , or "Assassins".
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 663384537.
The opening as it stood in 2020 3 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Hassan-i Sabbāh ( Hasan-i Sabbāh ) or Hassan as-Sabbāh ( Ḥasan aṣ-Ṣabbāḥ ) (full name: Hassan bin 'Ali bin Muhammad bin Ja'far bin al-Husayn bin Muhammad bin al-Sabbah al-Himyari) (c. 1050–1124) was the founder of the Nizari Isma'ili state and its fidā'i military group known as Order of Assassins .(often referred also as the Hashshashin).Hassan-i Sabbāh was a missionary who converted the people of the Alborz Mountains of northern Iran to Nizari Isma'ilism in the late 11th century. He later seized a mountain fortress called Alamut . The Institute of Ismaili Studies .Cambridge University Press . : |work= ignored ( help ) Daftary, Farhad (2012).Historical Dictionary of the Ismailis .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 963054051.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 6 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Persian religious and military leader Hasan-i Sabbah ( ; c. 1050 – 12 June 1124) was a religious and military leader, founder of the Nizari Ismaili sect and also founder of the military order known as the Hashshashin or the Order of Assassins .Alongside his role as a formidable leader, Sabbah was an accomplished scholar of mathematics , most notably in geometry , as well as astronomy and philosophy , especially in epistemology .He came to be known in the West as the Old Man of the Mountain , a name given to him in the writings of Marco Polo that referenced the sect's possession of the commanding mountain fortress of Alamut Castle . Historical Dictionary of the Ismailis . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1178164463.
The opening as it stood in 2025
Ismaili religious and military leader (c. 1050–1124) Hasan al-Sabbah also known as Hasan I of Alamut , was a religious and military leader, founder of the Nizari Ismai'li sect widely known as the Hashshashin or the Order of Assassins , as well as the Nizari Ismaili state , ruling from 1090 to 1124 AD. Alongside his role as a formidable leader, Sabbah was an accomplished scholar of mathematics , most notably in geometry , as well as astronomy and philosophy , especially in epistemology . It is narrated that Hasan and the Persian polymath Omar Khayyam were close friends since their student years.He and each of the later Assassin leaders came to be known in the West as the Old Man of the Mountain , a name given to the sect's leader in the writings of Marco Polo that referenced the sect's possession of the commanding mountain fortress of Alamut Castle .Nizam al-Mulk Tusi , pg. 420, foot note No. 3 TARİHİ ROMANLARDA ÜÇ İSİM: NİZAMÜLMÜLK, HASAN SABBAH, ÖMER HAYYAM (in Turkish). Historical Dictionary of the Ismailis . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1296645031. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “iranian ismaili missionary who converted a community in the late 11th century in the heart of the elburz mounta”. Today it says “military leader”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “Persian religious and military leader”. It now reads “Ismaili religious and military leader (c. 1050–1124)”. Read the current article and compare.
2005
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2025
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What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2005, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
iranian ismaili missionary who converted a community in the late 11th century in the heart of the elburz mounta
Now
military leader
Sections that no longer exist
Present on October 6, 2023, absent today, with no near-matching heading in the current article and the article shorter overall, so this is not a renamed heading or a topic absorbed into a fuller treatment. 1 section of 400 characters or more gone since October 6 2023, with the article 144 characters shorter.
Foreign views: Marco Polo and China
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
