 It was formed as a result of a religious and political movement of the minority Nizari sect supported by the anti-Seljuk population.Being heavily outnumbered, the Nizaris resisted adversaries by employing strategic, self-sufficient strongholds and the use of unconventional tactics, notably assassination of important adversaries and psychological warfare.Two centuries after its foundation, the state declined internally and was disestablished by the invading Mongols, who dismantled Alamut and massacred many Nizaris.