Imperial guard explained
An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the emperor or empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial forces, including the regular armed forces, and maintain special rights, privileges and traditions.
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. Napoleon's Imperial Guard is an example of this.
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 Varangian Guards (recruiting solely foreigners), and the Janissaries (Christian children taken as slaves from childhood, to serve the Muslim sultan).
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
See also: Imperial Guard (disambiguation) and Royal guard.
Africa
Americas
Asia
- Chinese
- Japanese
- Iranian
- Indian
- ValaShahis, in Mughal Empire
- Sikh Akali-Nihang (Immortal Crocodiles) warriors who have played the pivotal role in Sikh military history were also the guards of the Sikh Gurus, who are considered as Sache Patishah (True Emperors).
- Elsewhere
Europe
- Austro-Hungarian
- Arcièren-Leibgarde (Lifeguard of Halberdiers), in the Austro-Hungarian Empire 1700-1918
- 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 Empire until 1918
- Trabanten Leibgarde (Gentlemen at Arms), in the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918
- French
- 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
- Scholae Palatinae, late Roman Imperial Guards in both Western and Eastern Empires. Established in ca. 312, in the West until the 490s, in Byzantine service until ca. 1080.
- Excubitors, Byzantine imperial guards established under the Byzantine emperor 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
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 Wars universe.
- The Imperial Guard is the standing army of the Imperium in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. 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 Sardaukar of the Padishah Emperor and the Fremen Fedaykin of Paul Muad'dib, plus their successors the Fish Speakers both serve as imperial guards in Frank Herbert's Dune saga.
- In Star Trek the Imperial Guard are the Armed Forces of the Andorian Empire as seen on the TV series .
See also
Notes and References
- 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