Sentence:  As higher education, claiming more and more years of one's life, widens the space between those who possess it and those who do not, and as the enlightenment of the public wanes relatively to the superior enlightenment of the learned castes and professions, the <WSD>mandarinate</WSD> will infallibly draw to itself a greater and greater share of social power. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The collective body of mandarins. (from 19th c.)