priyayi

priyayi, in traditional Javanese society, a class that comprised the elite in contrast to the masses, or “little people” (wong cilik). Until the 18th century the priyayi, under the royal families, were the rulers of the Javanese states. Like the knights in medieval Europe and the samurai of Japan, the priyayi were loyal to their lord and had a sense of honour and a readiness to die in battle. Their culture was marked by an elaborate code of etiquette. After the Dutch gained control of the Javanese kingdom of Mataram (18th century) and introduced indirect rule, the priyayi were used as administrators. Gradually they became professional civil servants. For this reason, the priyayi as a class were often regarded as Javanese civil servants. The priyayi were the first Indonesians to be exposed to Western (Dutch) education. Not surprisingly, the leaders of the Indonesian nationalist movements before World War II were predominantly from the priyayi. The Budi Utomo, the first proto-nationalist organization in Java, was also founded by the members of this class.