the ruled; the governed
Formal or academic term for people under authority, often contrasted with 治者 (ruler).
In political science, the relationship between the ruler and the ruled is often discussed.
Compound of 被 (hi, 'passive/receive') + 治 (chi, 'govern') + 者 (sha, 'person'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a common pattern for formal political terms.