boyars
/ˈbɔɪɑrz/
noun
- Members of the highest rank of feudal nobility in Russia and some other Eastern European countries, especially from the 10th to the 17th centuries.
- Many boyars owned vast estates and controlled the lives of thousands of peasants.
- The boyars held great power and advised the tsar on matters of state.
- In Russian history, the boyars often clashed with the monarchy over political influence.