Gal Mesedi
Encyclopedia
The Gal Mesedi was a Hittite
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...

 military and administrative title literally meaning Chief of the Royal Bodyguards It is considered to be one of the most important and prestigious posts of the Hittite Kingdom.

History

As a Gal Mesedi a commander was personally responsible for the safety of the king. On most cases he was a member of the royal family and sometimes the brother of the king, whom he sometimes succeeded as in the case of Hattusili III
Hattusili III
Hattusili III was a king of the Hittite empire ca. 1267–1237 BC . He was the fourth and last son of Mursili II...

, who before becoming a king was the Gal Mesedi of his brother king Muwatalli II
Muwatalli II
Muwatalli II was a king of the New kingdom of the Hittite empire .- Biography :He was the eldest son of Mursili II and Queen Gassulawiya, and he had several siblings....

. A Gal Mesedi could also at times command independent military units that weren't under the king's jurisdiction.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK