Marco Polo in Central Asia: 18: Old Man of the Mountain

You shall know all about the Old Man of Mountain, as I Marco heard related by many persons. He was called in their language Alaodin, who lived in a valley between two mountains.  The valley was a large and beautiful garden.  There were beautiful houses and palaces, the interior of which were richly gilded, and the walls were furnished with finely coloured pictures of birds and beasts.  It contained several conduits through which flowed water, wine, honey and milk.  Beautiful ladies and damsels, sung excellently and played instruments skilfully.  The Old man made his pupil believe that his garden was a paradise.  And he was able to bring people to this belief because Mohammed had given the Saracens to believe that those who went to garden would meet great many ladies, and find rivers of water, wine, milk and honey.  The people were led to think that it was really a paradise.  The Old Man of the Mountain had an evil design in running this paradise. He selected those adolescents and youth between the age of twelve and twenty. He also got ensured that the selected youth would carry out his will against his enemies.  From among the youth admitted to the castle he used to select a given number to carry out his will.  Then he used to instruct them about the paradise and the advantages of getting into the paradise. After a period of instructions he used to give them a beverage which would throw them into a sleep.  Then he carried them into the garden.  There, they are awakend. They are very much delighted and believe that it was paradise. They really believe that they are in a blissful blessedness.  When again, however they fall asleep, they are brought back into the castle. When they came out of sleep, they found themselves in the castle, feel dejected and long to return to the paradise. They humbly go to the Old Man of the Mountain.  The Old Man then name to them a great lord and, and ask them to kill the lord, and if they attain this they go to paradise.  The youths, in frenzy go to the lord, kill him and come back.  The Old Man takes them to the garden. Next time he chooses another group youths and entrust this mission.  As this continued many of the barons, out of drad became the vassals of the Old Man of the Mountain.  The vassals dreaded the Old Man of the Mountain.

Note:- 
The story of 'The Old Man of the Mountain' was popularised by Marcopolo.  The Old Man of the Mountain was a nickname of various leaders of the Nizari Ismail state and the order of Assassin.




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