one's troops; one's forces
Historical term referring to the soldiers or military forces under one's command, often used in contexts of feudal warfare or samurai narratives.
During the Warring States period, each daimyo led his own troops to the battlefield.
Compound of 手 (て, 'hand; one's own') and 勢 (ぜい, 'forces; troops'), literally 'hand forces'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is conventionally associated with the troops under one's direct command in feudal Japan.