I always pictured the Jedi as being most similar to the Ronin samurai, especially as depicted in the movie, "The Seven Samurai." I even think in the early days that Lucas himself made that comparison. Either way, it is well known that Lucas admired Kurosawa and the fim, even borrowing the line of the peasants, "we seem to be made to suffer, it's our lot in life."

The Ronin are knights-errant. This means they wander around looking for quests they can perform in order to live up to their ideal. In medieval literature this was based on Romance and chivalry. They were often employed by noblemen, which supports Kenobi's serving Bail Organa in the Clone Wars. I don't like the idea of their being an institutionalzed, organization like the Jedi Council. In my imaginings, there is a Jedi Code, a set of ideals that Jedi tryo to follow, but each Jedi has a lot more freedom in what he does to follow that code, and he is not bossed around by a beauracratic council. This also helps explain how Kenobi decided on his own to take Anakin as an apprentice. Incidentally, the idea that the Council approved of Kenobi taking on Anakin, makes Kenobi's words in ANH about his decision to teach Anakin almost meaningless.

So, I say all this in order to support my previously expressed idea of the Clone Wars. I see individual Jedi, or small bands of Jedi (a la the Seven Samurai), being employed by noblemen, political leaders, etc, in order to uphold their systems' anti cloning laws against those who want to force the clone trade.

I know the Mandalorians fit in here somewhere, but not sure how.