also: くげしゅ
noun
court nobles; courtiers; people of the Imperial Court
Collective term for the kuge, the aristocratic class serving the Imperial Court in pre-modern Japan. Often contrasted with 武家衆 (buke-shū), the warrior class.
See also: 武家衆
公家衆は朝廷の儀式に参加した。
The court nobles participated in the ceremonies of the Imperial Court.
戦国時代、公家衆と武家
During the Warring States period, interaction between the court nobles and the warrior class increased.
Compound of 公家 (kuge, 'court noble') and 衆 (shū, 'group of people'). The reading くげしゅ is a variant, possibly influenced by the on'yomi of 衆.