noun
or squir·ar·chy ˈskwī(ə)ˌrärkē
( -es )
Etymology: squire (I) + -archy
1. : the gentry of a country : the landed proprietor class especially with regard to its political influence
two classes in the community struggling for supremacy: the land-owning squirearchy allied with the church, and the mercantile classes — C.J.Friedrich
— used especially of the English government prior to the Reform Bill of 1832
2. : government by a landed gentry