Priyayi (English spelling)

Japanese: プリヤイ（英語表記）priyayi

Originally a Javanese word meaning the youngest brothers of a feudal lord, it referred to the court officials and aristocracy who were in charge of administrative affairs under the king and local feudal lords of the Mataram Islamic Kingdom that ruled Java from the late 16th century. When Mataram was taken over by the Dutch in the mid-18th century, they were incorporated into the Dutch colonial administration as native administrative bureaucrats. After the late 19th century, as the bureaucracy expanded, teachers, doctors, engineers, clerks, and other people who had gained professional knowledge through Western education were also included in the category of priyay.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

元来は領主の末弟たちを意味するジャワ語で，16世紀末からジャワに君臨したマタラム･イスラム王国の国王や地方領主の配下で行政実務を担当した宮廷官吏，貴族階級を意味した。18世紀半ばにマタラムがオランダに制圧されると，オランダ植民地行政に原住民行政官僚として組み込まれた。19世紀末以後，官僚機構の拡充につれ，西洋式教育を通して獲得した専門的知識によって官途についた教師，医師，技師，書記などもプリヤイの範疇に加えられた。

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