Innovation No. 77 of 77 in the book
The First Police Force
The Medjay paramilitary, transitioning from a desert scout unit to a state-salaried civil police force
- When
- c. 1550 BCE
- Dynasty
- 18th Dynasty
- Era
- New Kingdom
The world’s first police force grew up in Egypt: the Medjay, a state-salaried security force on patrol by around 1550 BCE, in the early New Kingdom.
They began as desert scouts and became civil police — guarding towns, tombs and borders, keeping order, and answering to the government, paid from the state’s stores.
That is the key difference from a private guard or a soldier: a permanent, paid force whose whole job was public order.
The idea of a police force on the public payroll started on the Nile.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the earliest archaeological evidence for the first police force in ancient Egypt?
The earliest confirmed evidence dates to approximately 1550 BCE during Egypt's New Kingdom (18th Dynasty). The world’s first police force grew up in Egypt: the Medjay, a state-salaried security force on patrol by around 1550 BCE, in the early New Kingdom.
How did ancient Egyptians develop the first police force, and what is its legacy?
They began as desert scouts and became civil police — guarding towns, tombs and borders, keeping order, and answering to the government, paid from the state’s stores. They began as desert scouts and became civil police — guarding towns, tombs and borders, keeping order, and answering to the government, paid from the state’s stores. The idea of a police force on the public payroll started on the Nile.