Boyar

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Early Slavic status

Knyaz (sovereign)

Boyar / Szlachta (noble)

Druzhinnik (retainer)

Smerd (free tenant)

Kholop (slave)

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Part of a series on
Imperial, royal, noble, gentry and chivalric ranks in Europe
Emperor, Empress dowager Tsar, Tsarina Kaiser Great king, Great queen High king, High queen King consort dowager
Queen regnant consort dowager mother Archduke, Archduchess Grand duke, Grand duchess
Prince consort Princess consort Boyar Duke, Duchess Knyaz, Knyaginya Heir Heir apparent Prince of Wales Heir presumptive
Herzog Jarl Prince-elector, Princess-elector Fürst, Fürstin Marquess, Marchioness Margrave, Margravine Marcher lord
Count palatine Voivode Count, Countess Earl Ealdorman Viscount, Viscountess Castellan Burgrave, Burgravine Landgrave
Vidame Starosta Baron, Baroness Lord paramount Overlord Tenant in chief Territorial lord Liege lord Mesne lord
Lendmann Nobile Edler Primor Fidalgo Baronet, Baronetess Vavasour Imperial knight Knight/Chevalier Ritter
Knight bachelor Thane Druzhinnik Lord of the manor Vogt Esquire Gentilhomme, Gente dame
Gentleman, Gentlewoman Franklin Yeoman Man at arms Edelfrei Ministerialis
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A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russia), Moldavia and Wallachia (and later Romania), Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. Comparable to Dukes/Grand Dukes, Boyars were second only to the ruling princes, grand princes or tsars from the 10th to the 17th centuries.