Dumnye Dvoriane

(literally, duma gentry), in 16th and 17th-century Russia, the third in “honor” (chest’) rank (after boyars and okol’nichie in central state institutions of the country). Dumnye dvoriane participated in the meetings of the Boyar Duma and the work of its commissions, administered prikazy (offices), performed court and military duties, and were assigned as voevody (governors) to the towns. In the 16th century they were most often high-born, and their number was small. Together with the dumnye d’iaki (clerks), they were a buttress of the tsarist authority in its struggle against the boyar aristocracy in the Boyar Duma.