Imperial guard
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An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an
Because the head of state often wishes to be protected by the best soldiers available, their numbers and organisation may be expanded to carry out additional tasks.
In heterogeneous polities reliant on a greater degree of coercion to maintain central authority the political reliability and loyalty of the guard is the most important factor in their recruitment. In such cases the ranks of the guard may be filled with on the one hand royal kinsman and clansman with a stake in the survival of the ruling family, and on the other with members socially and culturally divorced from the general population and therefore reliant on imperial patronage for their survival, for example the
In the post-colonial period, the term has been used colloquially and derisively to describe the staff of a person, usually a politician or corporate executive officer, that acts to prevent direct communication with the person.
List of imperial guards
Africa
- Mehal Sefari and Kebur Zabagna of the Ethiopian Empire
- Esho of the Oyo Empire
Americas
- Imperial Guard of the Archers, Brazilian Imperial bodyguards during the Empire of Brazil
Asia
- Chinese
- The 8,000 Terracotta Warriors protecting the Emperor of China in the afterlife.
- The Northern Army of the Han dynasty was the standing professional army branch of the Han Empire, garrisoned around the capital. Several units from this army would be given the honor of guarding the emperor in the capitol.
- The Feathered Forest (imperial guards unit composed of primarily or entirely cavalry) [Elite Yulin] of the
- The Rapid as Tigers (imperial guards unit) [Elite Huben] of the
- Imperial Guards (Tang dynasty), formed initially as honour bodyguards of the emperor and garrison of the capital, and evolved to reflect the era's transition of reliance on professional soldiery over non-professional volunteers and conscripts.
- Shìwèi, in the Qing dynastyof China
- Imperial Guards Brigade of Manchu Banner soldiers, entrusted with guarding the person of the Emperor of China and the Forbidden Cityduring the Qing dynasty
- Imperial Guard of Manchukuo
- Japanese
- Imperial Guard (Japan) in service protection of the Emperor of Japan. Later part of the Japanese Army and since 1947, part of the National Police of Japan.
- Imperial Guard of the National Police Agency, in Japan
- Iranian
- The 10,000-strong Achaemenid army
- The Immortals, the Imperial State of Iran
- Indian
- ValaShahis, in Mughal Empire
- Sikh Sikh Gurus, who are considered as Sache Patishah(True Emperors).
- Elsewhere
- Janissaries and Baltadji of the Ottoman Empire
- Kheshig of the Mongol Empire
Europe
- Austro-Hungarian
- Austro-Hungarian Empire1700-1918
- Hofburgwache (Palace Bodyguard) in the Austrian Empire. Became the Leibgarde-Infantrerie-Kompanie (Guard Infantry Company) in 1802.
- Leibgarde-Reiter-Eskedron (Bodyguard Mounted Squadron) in the Austro-Hungarian Empireuntil 1918
- Trabanten Leibgarde (Gentlemen at Arms), in the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918
- French
- Imperial Guard (Napoleon I) and Mamelukes of the Imperial Guard of the First French Empire.
- Imperial Guard (Napoleon III) of the Second French Empire
- Roman and Byzantine
- The Praetorian Guard of the Imperial Roman Army in Ancient Rome, from 27 BC – 312 AD.
- The Equites singulares Augusti, Imperial Horse Guards of the Roman Emperors
- Jovians and Herculians, elite Guards legions during the Tetrarchy
- EasternEmpires. Established in ca. 312, in the West until the 490s, in Byzantine service until ca. 1080.
- Leo I the Thracian
- Spatharioi, Byzantine palace guards in the 5th-8th centuries
- Tagmata, elite Byzantine guard units in the 8th-11th centuries
- Hetaireia, Byzantine mercenary guard composed of men from Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the 9th-12th centuries
- Varangian Guard, Byzantine palace guards and elite soldiers in the 10th-15th centuries
- Elsewhere
- Stefan Uroš IV Dušan the Mighty.
- The Guards Corps of the Prussian, and later of the Imperial German Army
- The Imperial Guard (also known as the Leib Guard) of the Russian Tsars.
Gallery
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Sawar Khan, one of the Imperial Guards of theMughal Emperor Shah Jahan
-
The commander of the Imperial Guard of Delhi
-
Household Troops: Janissaries of Sultan Murad IV
Fiction
The term has been used in fiction:
- Imperial Guard, a group of alien warriors in the Marvel Comics universe that are charged with the duty of serving the Shi'ar Empire.
- Emperor's Royal Guard, Darth Sidious's personal protectors in the Star Warsuniverse.
- The Imperium in the Warhammer 40,000universe. However, the Adeptus Custodes (rather than the Guard, despite their name) actually plays the role of the Emperor's privileged personal guards.
- The Crimson Brigade, the Empire of Izmir's elite fighting unit in the 2000 film titled: Dungeons & Dragons.
- The Fish Speakers both serve as imperial guards in Frank Herbert's Dunesaga.
- In Armed Forces of the Andorian Empire as seen on the TV series Star Trek: Enterprise.
See also
- List of empires
- List of largest empires
- List of extinct countries, empires, etc.
- Imperial Army and Imperial Navy
- Royal guard
- Republican guard
- National guard
References
- ^ a b p. 1241 A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23-220 AD) by Rafe de Crespigny
- ^ pp. 150, 225, 228 Fire over Luoyang: A History of the Later Han Dynasty 23-220 AD by Rafe de Crespigny
- ^ pp. 150, 225 Fire over Luoyang: A History of the Later Han Dynasty 23-220 AD by Rafe de Crespigny
External links
- Media related to Imperial guards at Wikimedia Commons