Order

An order is an insignia or an honorary award usually granted for special service or performance. Orders of religious or secular knights that arose in Western Europe in the 12th century were modeled after the monastic orders. In the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries there was proliferation of court orders, which were established by monarchs for the encouragement of the nobility and gentry. An order usually consisted of a sign (cross, star, etc) worn on a ribbon or a chain and a broad ribbon of a specified colour worn over the shoulder. In some cases the award of an order entailed the granting of hereditary or personal nobility and other privileges and was thus the ultimate expression of recognition. Most orders, and particularly those with hereditary privileges, are an anachronism perpetuating the concept of nobility, which like racism, is unscientific.