Askeri (Ottoman Turkish: عسكري) is an Ottoman Turkish term that refers to a class of imperial administrators in the Ottoman Empire. This elite class consisted of three main groups: the military, the court officials, and the religious clergy. Though term itself literally means "of the military", it more broadly encompasses all higher levels of imperial administration. To be a member of this ruling elite, one thus had to hold a political office in the service of the Ottoman Empire, meaning that both Muslims and non-Muslims in those positions could be considered askeri.