Gentlemen Cavaliers
The Gentlemen Cavaliers (Shinasthana: 中從騎, trjung-dzjung-grjar) is a cavalry unit of Gentlemen-at-Arms, nominally following the Themiclesian emperor on horseback whenever he leaves his seat. The unit is led by the Gentleman-Captain of Cavaliers (中從騎尉, trjung-dzjung-grjar-′judh), who enjoys a rank of 2,000 bushels. It is often together mentioned with the Privy Chariotry as "Privy Chariotry and Gentlemen Cavalry" (副車從騎), meaning the emperor's close guards.
Membership
As the Gentlemen Cavaliers are a unit of the Gentlemen-at-Arms, its membership is a pre-requisite to membership here. The eldest son of high-ranking civil servants (2,000 bushels) and those second- to fourth-place in the triennial rural elections are admitted as a matter of course. Additionally, the other sons of these civil servants can pay a fee to be admitted as well. Each gentleman-at-arms is required to possess two horses, court attire, and numerous other things. The first two groups have these expenses paid for by the state, while the third must furnish themselves. While each gentleman possesses horses, equestrian knowledge is only necessary to join the Gentlemen Cavaliers. On the eighth month of the Themiclesian calendar, the Gallery Marshal reviews the gentlemen-at-arms and accepts petitions to join. The applicant need not demonstrate any skill at this point, since it is an offence against the throne to lie in the Palace Hall.
In more recent times, any person who has completed a bachelor's degree in university and has served as a commissioned officer in the armed forces may apply to become a gentleman-cavalier. Service in this role entitles the officer to the postnominal word "gentleman" and to retain his rank as a courtesy title, if he is not already entitled to it, e.g. an Army captain called Cpt. Mu having served as a gentleman-cavalier would be known as Cpt. Mu, Gentleman, after retirement.
The current (Feb. 2019) strength of the Gentlemen Cavaliers is 45.
Operation
Whenever the emperor makes a formal departure from the Palace Hall (殿, ntenh), which today only occurs a few times a year, the gentlemen-at-arms line the Gate of Rectitude. The emperor mounts his carriage within it, followed by the Privy Chariotry, which consists of ministers' younger brothers and sons. The Gentlemen Cavaliers are stationed on the ramps of the gates and holds their arms in the air, asking for general silence as the carriage descends. Once the royal carriage has reached ground level, it stops before the Gate of State, where the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, and President of Tribunes greet the sovereign. The Gentlemen Cavaliers then dismount and each declare their name to the Tribune of Invigilation appointed for the journey, so that they may be held responsible if the emperor were harmed or went missing. Generally, there would also be a Minister without Portfolio appointed, and likewise he binds himself to the safe return of the emperor to the Chancellor. Once the Civil Service is satisfied the royal household has made sufficient arrangements to protect the emperor, they release his procession.
Symbolisms
Like the rest of the gentlemen-at-arms, the Gentlemen Cavaliers has been analyzed as a symbol of aristocratic unity around the emperor, through the willing and unpaid service rendered to him in return for the emperor's patronage more prominent members of their families. In the broader context of social reproduction, which the Gentlemen-at-Arms are thought to exemplify, the Gentlemen Cavaliers not very differentiated from the more general group, since the cavaliers are not granted much better access to the emperor.[1] In the pre-modern period, the emperor's free time is likely taken up with other, more experienced courtiers, while after 1953, service with the Gentlemen-at-Arms is no longer a factor to advancement in the Civil Service.
Notes
- ↑ Canonically, gentlemen-at-arms can court the emepror's favours through talents and gain his patronage to secure a good appointment. If risen to a high rank, he could later enroll his child with the Gentlemen-at-Arms again, thus starting the cycle over. The emperor's patronage has a significant influence, though not a determinative one, in a civil servant's career; those with this preferrment generally rise higher than those who enter through clerkdon. This is the primary reason why the Gentlemen-at-Arms are regarded as a tool of social reproduction in sociological terms, even though the Civil Service at large both reproduces class and allows for social mobility.