Editing Alamut Castle (section)

===Capture of Alamut===
[[File:Assassins2-alamut.jpg|thumb|250px|Capture of the Alamut, 15th-century [[Mughal miniature]]]]
By 1090 AD, the Seljuq vizier [[Nizam al-Mulk]] had already given orders for Hassan's arrest and therefore Hassan was living in hiding in the northern town of [[Qazvin]], approximately 60&nbsp;km from the Alamut castle.<ref name="Eagle's Nest"/>{{rp|23}} There, he made plans for the capture of the fortress, which was surrounded by a fertile valley whose inhabitants were mainly fellow Shi’i Muslims, the support of whom Hassan could easily gather for the revolt against the Seljuqs. The castle had never before been captured by military means and thus Hassan planned meticulously.<ref name="Eagle's Nest"/>{{rp|23}}

In the summer of 1090 AD, Hassan set out from Qazvin towards Alamut on a mountainous route through [[Andej]]. He remained at Andej disguised as a schoolteacher named Dehkhoda until he was certain that a number of his supporters had settled directly below the castle in the village of [[Gazorkhan]] or had gained employment at the fortress itself.<ref name="Eagle's Nest"/>{{rp|23}} Still in disguise, Hassan made his way into the fortress, earning the trust and friendship of many of its soldiers. Careful not to attract the attention of the castle's Zaydi ‘Alid lord, Mahdi, Hassan began to attract prominent figures at Alamut to his mission. It has even been suggested that Mahdi's own deputy was a secret supporter of Hassan, waiting to demonstrate his loyalty on the day that Hassan would ultimately take the castle.<ref name="Eagle's Nest"/>{{rp|23}}

Earlier in the summer, Mahdi visited Qazvin, where he received strict orders from Nizam al-Mulk to find and arrest Hassan who was said to be hiding in the province of Daylaman. Upon his return to the Alamut fortress, Mahdi noticed several new servants and guards employed there. His deputy explained that illness had taken many of the castle's workers and it was fortunate that other labourers were found from the neighbouring villages. Worried about the associations of these workers, Mahdi ordered his deputy to arrest anyone with connections to the Ismailis.<ref name="Eagle's Nest"/>{{rp|22}}

Mahdi's suspicions were confirmed when Hassan finally approached the lord of the fortress, revealing his true identity and declared that the castle now belonged to him. Immediately, Mahdi called upon the guards to arrest and remove Hassan from the castle, only to find them prepared to follow Hassan's every command. Astounded, he realized he had been tricked and was allowed to exit the castle freely.<ref name="Eagle's Nest"/>{{rp|23}} Before leaving however, Mahdi was given a draft of 3000 gold dinars as payment for the fortress, payable by a Seljuq officer in service to the Isma'ili cause named Ra’is Muzaffar who honoured the payment in full.<ref name="Eagle's Nest"/>{{rp|23}} The Alamut fortress was captured from Mahdi and therefore from Seljuq control by Hassan and his supporters without resorting to any violence.<ref name="Eagle's Nest"/>{{rp|24}}