ABSTRACT
The formation of the Yeke Monggol Ulus saw the Mongols shift from a centrifugal power structure to a patrimonial state. Chinggis Khan achieved this transformation in no small part through the institution of the keshig, which served not only as his personal bodyguard and household staff, but also as the chief organ through which executive power was to be exercised. The intimacy and trust shared by the khan and his guardsmen meant that they could be counted upon to loyally perform the most sensitive jobs across the empire, including commanding the Mongol armies, serving as envoys, overseeing government bureaus, and even recording the dynastic history of the Chinggisids. Chinggis simultaneously made it clear that his keshig was to be distinct from regular units of the Mongol army.
