 Following his expulsion from Egypt over his support for Nizar, Hassan-i Sabbah found that his co-religionists, the Ismailis, were scattered throughout Persia, with a strong presence in the northern and eastern regions, particularly in Daylam, Khurasan and Quhistan.The Ismailis and other occupied peoples of Persia held shared resentment for the ruling Seljuks, who had divided the country's farmland into "iqtā’" (fiefs) and levied heavy taxes upon the citizens living therein.The Seljuk "amirs" (independent rulers) usually held full jurisdiction and control over the districts they administered.