A raiyah or reaya (from Arabic: رعايا raʿāyā, a plural of رعيّة raʿiya "countryman, animal, sheep pasturing, subjects, nationals, flock", also spelled raiya, raja, raiah, re'aya; Ottoman Turkish رعايا IPA: [ɾeˈʔaːjeː]; Modern Turkish râiya [ɾaːˈja] or reaya; related to the Arabic word rā'ī راعي which means "shepherd, herdsman, patron") was a member of the tax-paying lower class of Ottoman society, in contrast to the askeri and kul. The raiyah made up over 90% of the general population in the millet communities. In the Muslim world, raiyah is literally subject of a government or sovereign. The raiyah (literally 'members of the flock') included Christians, Muslims, and Jews who were 'shorn' (i.e. taxed) to support the state and the associated 'professional Ottoman' class.