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The Imperial Guards of the Tang dynasty, also known as the Forbidden Troops (simplified Chinese: 禁军; traditional Chinese: 禁軍; pinyin: jìn jūn), were initially honor guards and shock troops of the emperor and garrisons of the imperial capitals during the Tang's formation in the early 7th century. They were extremely skilled soldiers, and can often be considered an elite unit, almost comparable to that of the Praetorian Guards of Rome. After the An Shi Rebellion, which lasted from AD 755 to 763, the Imperial Guards became the only military force that remained under direct control of the Tang court. These guards were equipped a variety of arms and armour, including crossbows and dao, and donned heavy lamellar armour. Sometimes, some elite guard units were clad in mountain pattern armour.