Beshi (died 860s) was a member of the Zanj rebels, serving as second-in-command to the rebellion's leader, Ali ibn Muhammad. Like his leader, Beshi was an ally to the Hidden Ones and assisted in their efforts against the Order of the Ancients in Baghdad.
Biography[]
Joining the rebellion[]
Beshi was a former slave who was rescued by Ali ibn Muhammad,[1] a former high-ranking Abbasid dignitary who resolved to bring about a free world.[2] Granted his freedom, Beshi joined Ali in his quest and became his second-in-command.[1]
In contrast to Ali's volatile personality, Beshi had a calmer and more measured demeanor. As such, he often acted as a voice of reason for Ali, helping him control his violent impulses, which Beshi felt did more harm than good to the rebellion's cause.[1]
Assisting the Hidden Ones[]
- Basim: "Ali and Nur got close enough to Al-Ghul that he took notice. If we find Ali, he can lead us to Al-Ghul."
- Beshi: "It is but one path. There may be another. I will go where these men were being sent to dig and pose as a captive."
- —Beshi revealing his plan to spy on Al-Ghul to Basim, 860s.[src]-[m]
Around 862, Ali and the rebellion began working alongside the Alamut Hidden Ones by assisting in their efforts against the Order of the Ancients, who controlled much of the Abbasid Caliphate from the shadows. The brotherhood, in turn, provided aid to the rebels in Baghdad.[3]
Following an attack by mercenaries on their stronghold of Alamut, the Hidden Ones sent Nur to Baghdad to establish contact with Ali and the rebels and find the perpetrators behind the attack.[3] Beshi briefly became acquainted with Nur while the Hidden One worked alongside Ali to investigate the Order's activities, and later witnessed him fleeing Baghdad after he was discovered and attacked by the Order, who also captured Ali.[4]
Beshi talking to Basim at the Upper Harbor
With his leader gone, Beshi assumed command of the rebels and tried to locate Ali, who had been sent to one of Baghdad's prisons. At the same time, he sought to rescue some of his captured men from the Upper Harbor, a task which Nur's fellow Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq, who had been sent to continue his investigation, offered to assist him with. After Basim rescued the rebels, Beshi was grateful and revealed that the man responsible for Ali's capture was a member of the Order known as "Al-Ghul".[4]
Beshi also offered Basim a Khidmah Token as a reward for his assistance, which he explained could be exchanged for the services of certain groups. He then announced his intentions to spy on Al-Ghul by posing as one of his prisoners and left.[4] This plan ultimately proved to be successful and Beshi managed to learn what the Order member looked like, as well as that he would be traveling to the caravanserai near Baghdad to purchase new slaves for his dig sites in the desert.[5]
An injured Beshi revealing his findings on Al-Ghul
However, Beshi's cover was blown and he was attacked by Al-Ghul's men. Despite his injuries, he managed to escape and make his way to a watermill where the Zanj rebels were regrouping. There, he found Basim, his mentor Roshan, and Ali, who had been rescued from the Damascus Gate Prison by the Hidden Ones, and told them what he had managed to learn. The trio then left Beshi to rest and recover from his wounds while they discussed how to reach and assassinate Al-Ghul.[5]
During this time, Beshi sent the Hidden Ones several contracts, requesting their help with matters concerning the Zanj rebellion, such as rescuing a concubine who had been found to be supplying information to the rebels,[6] and helping one of their weapon suppliers flee Baghdad.[7] These contracts would eventually be completed by Basim.[8]
Capture and death[]
Beshi and Basim disagreeing with Ali's methods
Following Al-Ghul's death, the Order ramped up their efforts to crush the Zanj rebellion and used the Caliphate's Turkic mercenaries to capture and execute countless rebels. A furious Ali traveled with Beshi to the Hidden One bureau in Sharqiyah to request aid from Fuladh Al Haami, but the latter suspected that the Order were trying to lure out Ali and instructed him to lay low for the time being. When Basim arrived at the bureau shortly after, he volunteered to help Ali find the culprit behind the executions and accompanied him to Jarjaraya.[9]
Beshi traveled to Jarjaraya as well, after returning the deceased rebels to their families,[9] and helped Ali interrogate a captive soldier, despite his personal disapproval of his leader's methods. Basim, who had been conducting his own investigation, arrived moments later and he too voiced his disagreement with Ali's methods, but the rebel leader defended his actions as necessary and claimed that he did not need anyone's approval.[10]
Wasif executing Beshi
Following this heated exchange, Basim left to continue his investigation while Beshi went to rendezvous with other rebels.[10] However, he never made it back to Jarjaraya, as he was captured by soldiers working for Wasif al-Turki, the commander of the Turkish Army and a member of the Order, and taken to the Great Garrison in Baghdad. Despite learning of Beshi's fate, Basim and Ali were ultimately unable to save him and the former watched as Wasif executed Beshi in the garrison's courtyard.[11]
Legacy[]
Despite the loss of Beshi, Basim and Ali managed to free the other rebels imprisoned in the garrison and, with their help, they stormed Wasif's personal quarters and killed the Order member, avenging Beshi's death.[11] Later, Ali told Basim and Fuladh that stories of Beshi's deeds were already being told throughout Baghdad, inspiring more people to fight for their freedom.[12]
At some point prior to his death, Beshi had recommended to his friend Murjana that she seek the Hidden Ones' help when her father came into trouble with a group of infamous bandits known as the Forty Thieves. This led her to write a letter to the Hidden One bureau in Abbasiyah, where it was found by Basim, who agreed to assist Murjana with her plight.[13]
Behind the scenes[]
Beshi is a character in the 2023 video game Assassin's Creed: Mirage, where he was voiced by Alex Spencer.[14] His name in Amharic means "by thousands". [citation needed]
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage
- The Forty Thieves (mentioned only)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Database: Beshi
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Database: Ali ibn Muhammad
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A New Beginning
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Contact the Rebels
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A Delicate Alliance
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Concubine
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Weapons Dealer
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Blood and Shadows
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Hunter
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Den of the Beast
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Return
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Forty Thieves – A Dance with Thieves
- ↑
Alex Spencer at the Internet Movie Database
