Commandry

Commandry, (British English) or commandery (American English), was the smallest division of the European landed estate or manor under the control of a commendator, or commander, of an order of knights. The word is also applied to the emoluments granted to a commander of a military order of knights.

The word came from French commanderie, from medieval Latin commendaria, meaning "a trust or charge". Also called "commend�" in Latin.

Originally commandries only existed for the Order of Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, but later also for the Order of Teutonic Knights[?] and other orders. Its equivalents for Knights Templars were preceptor[?] and preceptory. In 1540, the Knights of St. John's possessions in England were seized as crown-property[?].

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Commandry (郡 in pinyin: j�n) had been an administrative level of China. During the Zhou Dynasty, it one level below a district (縣). Qin Shi Huangdi inverted the hierarchy and made commandries higher than districts. In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, commandries were abolished and replaced by zhou-prefectures (府). In the Song Dynasty, fu-prefectures (府) were in commandries' place.

Notable commandries:

• Daifang commandery
• Lelang commandery