Priyayi

Priyayi (formerly "Prijaji") is the traditional aristocratic class of Java, Indonesia's most populous island. "Priyayi" are the elites in traditional Javanese society, in contrast to commoners, or "wong cilik" ('little people' in Javanese). Their culture is marked by elaborate customs and etiquettes.

The American sociologist, Clifford Geertz, identified three main cultural streams ("aliran" in Indonesian) in Javanese society. Namely, the "santri", "abangan", and "priyayi". [cite book
last = McDonald
first = Hamish
title = Suharto's Indonesia
publisher = Fontana
date = 1980
location = Melbourne
pages = pp. 9-10
isbn = ISBN 0-00-635721-0] The "priyayi" stream are the traditional bureaucratic elite and were strongly driven by hierarchical Hindu-Javanese tradition. Initially court officials in pre-colonial kingdoms, the stream moved into the colonial civil service, and then on to administrators of the modern Indonesian republic. [cite book
last = McDonald
first = Hamish
title = Suharto's Indonesia
publisher = Fontana
date = 1980
location = Melbourne
pages = pp. 9-10
isbn = ISBN 0-00-635721-0]

Members of the "santri" stream are more likely to be urban dwellers, and tend to be oriented to the mosque, the Qur'an, and perhaps to Islamic canon law (Sharia). In contrast, the "abangan" tend to be from village backgrounds and absorb both Hindu and Muslim elements, forming a culture of animist and folk traditions. [cite book
last = McDonald
first = Hamish
title = Suharto's Indonesia
publisher = Fontana
date = 1980
location = Melbourne
pages = pp. 9-10
isbn = ISBN 0-00-635721-0] The "santri" are sometimes referred to as "Puthihan" (the white ones) as distinct from the 'red' "abangan".

References

Further reading

* Geertz, Clifford. "The Religion of Java". Glencoe, IL: The Free Press, 1960.