A lord was a ranking member of the feudal Empire who served under the Emperor while ruling over a clan. The Empire was initially strong and centralized, but it weakened after hundreds of years of internal conflict between the lords as they exerted their own power over their own clans and local territories. The lords were served by retainers that included soldiers and Jedi knights who were pledged to the service of their lords, including the expectation that they would die honorably in wars between the lords. During the Sith rebellion, former Jedi banded together as the Sith, who were led by the dark lord and the Sith witch. Many lords formed new alliances to oppose the Sith. After the failure of the rebellion, some Jedi knights were elevated to the rank of Jedi lord to rule over Jedi clans.