Islamic Jihad orders?

[Hounf of Culan]

Hey I was just wondering if there were ever any sort of Islamic jihading orders, in the same vein as the templars, knights hospitaller etc. ?

[lord o kelly]

Were there even orders in history?


Time for me to go to wiki

[AdmiringtheEnemyeh?]

Hashashim..

[Miraj]

There were Islamic Jihad orders, somewhat similar to Sufi orders. But they were somewhat more like business corporations established by either uber-religious muslim individuals or ambitious people looking to make money on the Islamic frontier (particularly anatolia and india). They were I guess more like "companies" rather than rustic religious orders like the Templars or Hospitallers. I've read about it in books mainly and couldn't find much internet info.

I guess you can read this for a start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghazw

Ghāzī warriors depended upon plunder for their livelihood, and were prone to brigandage and sedition in times of peace. The corporations into which they organized themselves attracted adventurers, zealots and religious and political dissidents of all ethnicities. In time, though, soldiers of Turkic ethnicity predominated, mirroring the acquistion of Mamluks, Turkic slaves in the Mamluk retinues and guard corps of the caliphs and emirs and in the ranks of the ghazi corporation, some of whom would ultimate rise to military and later political dominance in various Muslim states.

In the west, Turkic ghāzīs made continual incursions along the Byzantine frontier zone, finding in the akritai (akritoi) their Greek and Armenian counterparts. After the Battle of Manzikert these incursions intensified, and the region's people would see the ghāzī corporations coalesce into semi-chivalric fraternities, with the white cap and the club as their emblems. The height of the organizations would come during the Mongol conquest when many of them fled from Persia and Turkistan into Anatolia.

As organizations, the ghazi corporations were fluid, reflecting their popular character, and individual ghāzī warriors would jump between them depending upon the prestige and success of a particular emir, rather like the mercenary bands around western condottiere. It was from these Anatolian territories conquered during the ghazw that the Ottoman Empire emerged, and in its legendary traditions it is said that its founder, Osman I, came forward as a ghāzī thanks to the inspiration of Shaikh Ede Bali.

* akinji: raider, a later replacement for ghāzī
* al-'Awāsim: the Syrio-Anatolian frontier area between the Byzantine and various caliphal empires
* ribāt: fortified convent used by a militant religious order; most commonly used in North Africa
* thughūr: an advanced/frontier fortress
* uj: Turkish term for frontier; uj begi (march lord) was a title assumed by early Ottoman rulers; later replaced by serhadd (frontier)

[Hounf of Culan]

Thanks for the info mirage.

[Eranshahr]

there was Nizari assasin orders i think, or maybe that was many years earlier. Or I think it wasn't a Jihad order? Well today there is " Islamic JIhad" No offense but I don't know what they are fighting for and I don't think they do themselves. ( If there is any Islamic Jihad member, please contact me. I would like to ask some questions. The main word being WHY?)

[Miraj]

Lol. Yeah I guess some modern terrorist groups can be considered such. But medieval orders were bit different, the main difference being that they were largely economically and territorially motivated - with ideology being the core raison detre (only french word I know) but not the aim. Also attacking and raiding civilians was a pretty standard thing back from Europe all the way to China - something that's considered warcrimes by today's standard opinion.

[Hounf of Culan]

Yah I was wondering about medievalish Jihading orders. I was thinking of a structured order, like the European crusading orders who "answered" to the pope, but seeing as there is no "pope" in Islam it would be difficult to create and maintain an organization similar to the knightly orders.

[CaesarBR]

They would probably answer to the Caliph

[Eranshahr]

I don't think many muslims would answer to the Caliph. There were a lot of Historical problems between muslims, which still exists today and can/could be found between Christians. Did anybody know there was a pope in Aivignon or some other french city, and the pope in rome? And as the Caliph was always arab. And arabs had problems with many different peoples ( such as Iranians and turks) the Caliph didn't have that power over the muslims. not like the pope had over christians. CAliph wa more of a grand title. nothing others would care about.

[IrAr]

As not all Christans (only Catholics) answer to the Pope, same with Muslims and the Caliph, besides modern times lacking one, of course.

[Hounf of Culan]

Yeah I think a caliph didn't have the same power to call on the might of Islamdom... in the same way that a pope used to be able to call on Christendom as a whole.

[jermagon]

The caliph was able to declare full jihad against the enemies of islam during the early caliphate,when the caliphate was strong and undivided,when he was the only ruler of the Islamic world,this lasted from the 7th-10th century after that the caliphate became very weak and many provinces declared Their independence from Baghdad,so the caliph hold little powers in that time,the Muslim sultanates only respect him because he was the caliph ''successor of the prophet'' and commander of the believers

[Haqiq]

Maybe a Jannisaries which have something in common but Jannisaries is directly under the military order. http://www.amazon.ca/o/ASIN/08928185...B84VEVHBB0DH82 I found this on amazon which state about the Assasin in the time of Middle Ages. There is some doubt about it on the comment box, but I think it is trustable.