Part 1 - Bad Dreams (Al-Nizar's coup d'etat)Ihwan as-Safa' is about a potential divergence of Islam from the course of OTL. In the west little thought is given to the variations of Muslim thought and doctrine, but of course Islam is as prone to schism as Christianity. There was factional strife and civil war immediately following the prophet's death; we all know about the split between the Sunnah and the Shi'ah regarding the succession. But in addition groups such as the Khawarij, the Ibadis and the Mu'tazilah (amongst others) had a great impact on Islamic history. And thats aside from the struggles amongst the dynasties for temporal power. Of the Shi'ah (whom our story concerns) it becomes even more disjointed. The majority of Shi'ah are (and were) Twelvers, believing in the existence of twelve imams (the interpreters of the word that follow the speakers of the word or prophets). In 765 (I'm using CE dates, they're easier) Jafar ibn Muhammad, the sixth imam dies. There is then a split in the line, between the Twelvers who believe his younger son Musa was seventh imam, and the esoteric and mystical Isma'ilis who reject him, and support his elder brother Isma'il. One branch of Isma'lil holds that the Imamate stops there. These are the Seveners or Stoppers. Most Isma'ilis believed the line continued. Isma'ilis were very good at missionary work. In part this is the motive of the PoD; of all the Islamic factions the Isma'ilis look good for spreading Islam to other parts of the world. They gained power in the Maghreb in the early tenth century, and then in Egypt in 969 as the Fatimid dynasty (using the slightly spurious device of the hidden imam). Their missions under the brilliant and terrible Hasan-e Sabbah in Iran and the poet-philospher Nasir Khusaro in what would today be Afghanistan and Pakistan spread the Isma'ili influence across the Islamic world. Though the Maghreb was soon lost to direct Isma'ili rule as the Zirids adopted the doctrines of the local tribes, the control of Egypt lasted for two centuries. Capricious rulers such as az-Zahir and al-Hakim (whom the mysterious Druze worship as divine. More on them later) did little to engender the love of the local Egyptians, who remained predominantly Sunni. Despite this distinction between the religion of the elite and that of the people Fatimid Egypt remained rich and powerful. Well, Britain had both high and low churches, and didn't do too badly out of it. The mosque-universities of al-Azhar and al-Hikmah were renowned, and trade and commerce flourished, especially with the West. The Fatimids had set up a rival Caliphate to that of the Abbasids in Baghdad. As in other dynastic lines in other times, the real temporal power rested with the Vizier, and there was often conflict between the Caliph and the Vizier (similar, perhaps, to the struggle between the Emperor and Shogun). After a spate of particularly useless viziers and bitter infighting during the middle eleventh century, during the rise of the Seljuks and the loss of Sicily to the Normans, the Caliph and Imam al-Mustansir invited the competent Badr al-Jamal (an Armenian ex-slave turned governor and general) to become vizier. This initiated a period of stability. In 1094 Badr al-Jamal dies. The aged and dying Al-Mustansir appoints one ad-Dawla as the new vizier, but with the usual tedious Machiavellian plots al-Afdal, son of al-Jamal, ousts him. With al-Mustansir's death a month later al-Afdal intends to put the Caliph's younger son Musta'li on the throne, whom he can then control. The rightful elder son, al-Nizar, clearly opposes the powerful al-Afdal and seeks the Caliphate himself and the viziership for ad-Dawla. Al-Afdal manages to get most of the court on his side (including al-Mustansir's sister) and al-Nizar flees to Alexandria, where he commands the loyalty of the governor and qadi, and also many of the nomadic Arabs. The battles around Alexandria decide the issue. One of al-Nizar's most powerful supporters, the emir Muhammad ibn Massal al-Maliki, betrays him and flees to Barqa. Al-Nizar was walled-up and his supporters put to death. The Fatimid line continued, with another schism a little later in the twelfth century, but became estranged from the Isma'ili mission in Iran and was eventually suppressed by Saladin who reverted to the Sunni khutba and acknowledged the Abbasid Caliph. Legend has it that ibn Massal had a vivid dream shortly before the confrontation at Alexandria, in which he saw al-Afdal walking in his train. An astrologer said "Who so-ever walks on the earth is destined to rule over it" and hence ibn Massal switched sides at the crucial moment. So, granted that this is a somewhat legendary PoD... ibn Massal has too much to smoke and goes to bed light-headed, and has amazing dreams that can only be interpreted as the word of the Imam. He sticks with al-Nizar. al-Nizar has fewer men, but holding on to Alexandria tightly they weather the siege. A swift decisive stroke breaks al-Afdal's army, and soon the court is on Nizar's side. The collapse of the upstart vizier's following is swift. Ad-Dawla is promoted to replace him, and it is al-Afdal who is buried alive in 1097. Musta'li is quietly bumped off a few years later (setting an early precedent of the Ottoman practice of killing the brothers of the ruler upon his accession). Part 2 - Where Eagles Dare (Alamut 1090-1100)While al-Nizar and ad-Dawla are celebrating their victory in the traditional manner (which involves inviting their defeated opponents to dinner and having them murdered during the first course), in Iran their supporters are laying the foundations for an Isma'ili fight back. They seek nothing less than the overthrow of the Abbasid Caliphate, and a return to the glory days of 1060 when for forty days the Shi'ah khutba was recited in Baghdad. Hasan-e Sabbah is instrumental to this story. He was born around 1035 in Qumm in Iran, and proved to be good scholar, proficient in geometry, astronomy and the like. Encountering Isma'ili literature he converted at the age of 35, and in 1071 came into contact with a Fatimid missionary dai. Soon a major force amongst the Iranian Isma'iliyya, he travelled to Egypt meeting al-Mustansir in 1078. There he was honoured by the Caliph, and studied at the Dar al-Hikmah. His influence on the Caliph was quite profound, and many courtiers became jealous. The vizier Badr al-Jamali became his enemy, and he was banished. It is also thought he was imprisoned after leaving Cairo, but escaped with daring adventures. Following this he travelled and spread the Isma'ili faith through Iraq and Iran before settling at Daylam in the Elburz mountains. Making himself leader of local Isma'ili communities he managed to seize the fortress of Alamut (from aluh (eagle) and amut (nest)) by converting some of the garrison in 1090. From here he set up a Isma'ili state in northern Iran, centered on defensible mountain fortresses. Like the Cathars of Europe the Isma'iliyya were a large minority, and could expect continuous attack from the Seljuks and the other orthodox Sunnis of Baghdad. Indeed soon after Alamut's fall to the heretics Malik Shah and Nizam al-Mulk (the Great Seljuk Sultan and vizier respectively) sent an army under the emir Turun Tash to besiege Alamut. They failed, but not after scouring the area around the Caspian of Isma'iliyya. This constant pressure hardened the heretics' attitudes. Their own forces were small but became fanatical, becoming known as the fida'is. Like all weak but fanatical groups, they soon resorted to what we would call terrorist tactics. Nizam al-Mulk was the first major target to be murdered. Legends of the fida'is in Iran, often confused with those of the Isma'iliyya in Syria (which we will look at shortly) and the gossip of Marco Polo, led to the tales of the Assassins. But it would be wrong to think of the Iranian group as a mystical and fanatical secret society. Like the Cathars they were an organic community, forced to remain in mountain strongholds by the constant enmity of their religious foes. The Nizaris in Iran survived for a century and half, and thrived with all the hallmarks of a coherent state (minting their own coinage for example) While Hasan e-Sabbah was certainly mystically oriented, Alamut had a great library, and it is thought that much of doctrine his followers spread had a Neo-Platonic and Hellenistic influence. In fact the exact Isma'ili doctrine was deliberately vague, attracting all sorts of elements who were disenfranchised by the orthodox legalistic faith. The Isma'iliyya were always strongest in the hills and amongst nomads; the Sunnis were always the majority in the cities. In OTL 1095 Hasan rejected al-Mustali and hailed al-Nizar as the Imam. In this ATL he stills follows al-Nizar, hating al-Afdal as the son of his old adversary. While naturally suspicious of another point of authority, in practice Egypt had little control over the Iranian Isma'iliyya. Here Hasan is a master, with the distant Imam a suitable figurehead for prayers. Indeed as hujjat ("proof") he made himself the unquestioned interpreter of the will of the Imam, essentially adopting the role of Imam within the community, with one important difference. The office of hujjat was not hereditary. Hasan had both his sons put to death for religious backsliding (he was _very_ fanatical) and appointed his successor. This set an important precedent. In OTL the device of the hidden Imam was cast aside after three hujjats, and the genealogies were altered so as to give the leader at Alamut the authority of being Imam and direct descent from the Prophet. In this ATL the Nizari line is clearly visible in Egypt for long enough that the practice of a nominated successor becomes ingrained. While politically independent there is an increase in traffic between Alamut and Cairo in this ATL; something that would be unthinkable in OTL. Hasan receives gifts, gold, and the names of those troublesome to the Cairo regime. Where it coincides with his own plans Hasan's devotees (fida'is) do the business with the dagger. On the whole Alamut is strengthened by the trade. There is a great deal of exchange in ideas and books between Cairo and Alamut. Religious leaders make the pilgrimage through the dangerous territory of Iraq to learn at Alamut, or to receive the blessings of Nizar in Cairo. The friendly relations between the two Isma'ili states also has military consequences. The Egyptian army was primarily a mercenary army, containing Turks, Berbers and all sorts. The Caliph relied on his own Mameluke guard, which swore loyalty to him personally. Each new Caliph would employ a new Mameluke guard. After ascending the throne al-Nizar adopts the title al-Mustapha li-dinillah (the chosen for God's religion) and strongly emphasises his religious fanaticism as a rallying cry against al-Afdal's corruption. In keeping with this new religious extremism he looks towards Alamut for the nucleus of his own guard. The old Mameluke system is modified and modelled on the training of the fida'is. The Egyptian fida'is are not terrorists but elite soldiers; the importance is the emphasis on the revealed truth of Isma'ilism and religious fanaticism upon the military caste of Egypt. Unfortunately for the Nizarid line the fida'is would prove to have all the disadvantages of a powerful Praetorian guard, just like the Mamelukes of OTL. With the death of Malik Shah and the assassination of Nizam al-Mulk the various Seljuk dynasties fall on one another. Much of the near east is in chaos, and there are several players trying to take advantage. The Fatimids, now on the upsurge, move towards a reconquest of Palestine. The Emperor hopes to recover territory or at least trade routes in Anatolia, and the scene is further confused by the arrival of the crusaders from the west. Part 3: Advocate of the Holy Sepulchre (The First Crusade, 1096-1099)1096: The first crusade. The PoD has little or no effect on the preaching of the crusade, nor most of the adventures and occurrences until well after Antioch. The destruction of Peter the Hermit's 'People's Crusade', the trouble of the main crusade passing through Byzantium, the battle of Dorylaeum, the question of the Holy Lance, all as in OTL. Baldwin heads off to found his principality of Edessa, and Bohemond struggles with Raymond for leadership of the crusade. At Antioch the siege occurs as OTL, and Bohemond defies the Emperor in claiming Antioch for himself. During this siege ambassadors from the Fatimids arrive. The crusaders treat them well, but do not acknowledge Egypt's right to Palestine. Back in 1097, riding high on his new found religious militancy, al Nizar ordered the reoccupation of Palestine, and conquered it much as in OTL. Both the crusaders and the Egyptians are benefiting by the death of Malik Shah and the disunity amongst the Turks. In 1099 the Crusade, led by Raymond, crosses the Dog river which marks the northern boundary of Fatimid control. Unable to reduce the coastal cities that are being resupplied by the Egyptian navy, the crusaders head straight for the Holy City. As in OTL the recent changes in ownership of Jerusalem have robbed it of much of its peacetime population, and the governor al Maliki doesn't have the manpower to successfully defend it. After a bitter and prolonged struggle the city falls, and the Crusaders massacre everyone within. Raymond refuses the throne, claiming that no-one could be King in the city where Christ was crowned, hoping that in so doing he will deprive anyone else of the Kingdom. Godfrey gets around this by being proclaimed 'advocatus sancti sepulchri', taking the power of King without the title. Raymond feels cheated of his prize, and a furious row ensues. The Fatimid relief is led by Nasir ad-Dawla Iftagin at-Turki. But the Egyptian armies of this period, while huge, lacked co-ordination and élan. They consisted mostly of ill assorted mercenary units. ad-Dawla's army is caught by surprise outside Ascalon by the veteran knights of the Crusade on the 9th August. Though the Egyptian army is destroyed, the Persian fedayeen fight to the death, and Frankish losses are substantially higher than in OTL. Princes that die include Robert of Normandy and Warner of Gray. Godfrey is wounded. On the other hand, ad-Dawla is himself killed in the battle, depriving al Nizar of a valuable supporter. Like OTL the crusaders are unable to follow up the victory by taking Ascalon, and they are left with Jaffa as their only seaport. The defeat raises numerous questions in Cairo. Al Nizar's position isn't that secure, having only recently defeated a palace revolution (the one that got him in OTL). Before another major expedition can be launched he needs to secure himself at home. Unlike al-Afdal, he decides to wait until he is absolutely ready before starting the next battle, which will be fought on his terms. In the mean time he decides on a naval strategy for political reasons; he's worried that the defeat outside Ascalon will encourage the coastal governors to try to break away. Such an approach prevents the Crusaders rapidly taking the coastal cities, but gives them the initiative in the interior. Raymond, who is at Jericho, makes his way north to Lattakeih. Daimbert of Pisa, the corrupt Papal legate, arrives with the support of a valuable Pisan fleet. He promptly attacks Lattakeih (which is in Imperial hands) with the connivance of Bohemond, before being persuaded to stop by the other princes. Together with Bohemond, he begins his journey to Jerusalem, where Bohemond needs to fulfil his vow of pilgrimage. When Baldwin of Edessa hears, he follows on behind. In OTL Bohemond and Daimbert paused at Bulunyas to enable Baldwin to catch up. In this ATL they hurry ahead, as news reaches them of Godfrey falling ill. Always in poor health, Godfrey's wounds and the bad climate had caused a considerable decline. Bohemond and Daimbert arrive at the beginning of December to find Godfrey on his sickbed, a weakened and frail man. He cannot resist Arnulf's deposition as Patriarch, and Daimbert's assumption of the title. Concerned greatly with his future in the world to come, he also surrenders the Tower of David to Daimbert. Baldwin and his followers arrive on the 19th December. All the princes spend Christmas at Bethlehem, but the weather is atrocious, and it spells the end for Godfrey. While the people mourn him, the leaders conspire for the succession. Skipping the details of the wrangling, the authority of Daimbert and his promise of Pisan naval support tips the balance in favour of Bohemond. While Bohemond had his heart set on founding a state at Antioch, he was never one to let the grass grow under his feet. In OTL Baldwin was determined from the outset to create an Armenian principality, but quickly adapted his plans when the throne of Jerusalem become vacant. Here Bohemond, an equally sharp player, does the same. As the brother of Godfrey, Baldwin's claim is good and he needs
compensation if the Frankish states are to survive. The princes will not
let Bohemond keep Antioch if he is to have Jerusalem. On New Year's Day
1100 Bohemond is proclaimed Defender of the Holy Sepulchre and Baldwin
is made Prince of Antioch. Both receive their fiefs from the Patriarch.
Baldwin retains the County of Edessa, but gives it as a fief under him
to Baldwin of Le Bourg (OTL's Baldwin II). This creates a tightly
coupled northern Syrian territory. Tancred becomes Prince of Galilee
under Bohemond, keeping Palestine in the family. Meanwhile Robert of
Flanders returns to Europe, and Raymond arrives at Constantinople,
already making plans for a new territory of his own
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