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Northern Song Shence Army

Type Object Region China Time 1071–1080

The Shence Army originated as a Tang imperial guard; the Northern Song inherited its name and capital garrison role, making it one of the core imperi…

Timeline

  1. 1071–1074Imperial guard camps, Bianjing · Kaifeng CityDuring the Xining era the court continued implementing selection, camp consolidation, and drill-and-review systems for the imperial guards. The Shence Army, as one of the core capital guards, took part in periodic reviews and organizational consolidation, strengthening cavalry-archery and battle-formation training.
  2. 1075–1078Northern Song imperial city · Kaifeng CityThe Shence Army undertook palace security, palace-gate access control, and patrols of key points in the capital, working together with the Palace Command and the Palace Attendant Infantry and Cavalry to form the multi-layered defense system of the Northern Song capital.
  3. 1078–1080Yongxing Military Circuit (Shaanxi) · Shaanxi ProvinceDuring the Yuanfeng era, with Song-Xia hostilities intensifying, some capital imperial guard units, including troops from the Shence Army system, were dispatched to reinforce the northwestern frontier, illustrating the Song-era guard pattern of "garrisoning the interior while leaving the frontier thin" combined with emergency deployment.

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