Castellans of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

Castellans of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were the lower rank officials who could sit in the Senate of Poland. Their numbers varied with time and shifting borders of the Commonwealth.

In the Kingdom of Poland and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Castellans (Template:Lang-pl) were in most cases lower in precedence to the Voivodess (with the exceptions of the three Distinguished Castellans, and the important Castellan - that of Kraków - had a position in the hierarchy was actually superior to that of a Voivode).

Competences

Except for the Castellan of Kraków Land (which has its seat in a privileged city, as the Commonwealth's capital to 1596), Castellans were often considered subordinate to Voivodes. Two castellans from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania - those of Wilno and Troki - were also considered privileged, and had a status equal to those of the voivodes. Castellans were in charge of a part of a Voivodship called Castellany (Polish: Kasztelania) until the 15th century and from that time on their domain was divided into provinces for Greater Castellans and powiats for Minor Castellans.

From 1565, the principle of "incompatibilitas" ("incompatibility") forbade Voivodes and Castellans to hold a second title as a Minister, except for the post of Hetman.

List

The list below is based on the 1569 data. The number of castellans changed in the later centuries.

Kasztelanowie Wyróżnieni — Distinguished Castellans (of Kraków, Vilnius and Trakai). They were seated among the Voivodes.

Castellan of Kraków (Cracow) (kasztelan krakowski). Seat: Kraków. Seated first in the Senate, before the Voivode of Kraków.
Castellan of Wilno (Vilnus) (kasztelan wileński). Seat: Wilno. Seated 6th in the Senate after the Voivode of Sandomierz and before the Voivode of Kalisz.
Castellan of Troki (kasztelan trocki). Seat: Troki. Seated 10th in the Senate after the Voivode of Sieradz and before the Voivode of Łęczyca

Kasztelanowie Więksi (Krzesłowi) — Major Castellans (there were 31).

Greater Castellan of Poznań. Seat: Poznań
Greater Castellan of Sandomierz. Seat: Sandomierz
Greater Castellan of Kalisz. Seat: Kalisz
Greater Castellan of Wojnicz. Seat: Wojnicz
Greater Castellan of Gniezno. Seat: Gniezno
Greater Castellan of Sieradz. Seat: Sieradz
Greater Castellan of Łęczyca. Seat: Łęczyca
Greater Castellan of Źmudź. Seat: Żmudź (Samogita)
Greater Castellan of Brześć Kujawski. Seat: Brześć Kujawski
Greater Castellan of Kijów. Seat: Kijów (Kiev)
Greater Castellan of Inowrocław. Seat: Inowrocław
Greater Castellan of Lwów. Seat: Lwów (Lviv)
Greater Castellan of Wołyń. Seat: Wołyń
Greater Castellan of Kamieniec. Seat: Kamieniec Podolski
Greater Castellan of Smoleńsk. Seat: Smoleńsk
Greater Castellan of Lublin. Seat: Lublin
Greater Castellan of Połock. Seat: Połock
Greater Castellan of Bełsk. Seat: Bełsk
Greater Castellan of Nowogródek. Seat: Nowogródek
Greater Castellan of Płock. Seat: Płock
Greater Castellan of Witebsk. Seat: Witebsk
Greater Castellan of Czersk. Seat: Czersk
Greater Castellan of Podlasie. Seat: Podlasie
Greater Castellan of Rawa. Seat: Rawa Mazowiecka
Greater Castellan of Brześć Litewski. Seat: Brześć Litewski
Greater Castellan of Chełmno. Seat: Chełmno
Greater Castellan of Mścisław. Seat: Mścisław
Greater Castellan of Elbląg. Seat: Elbląg
Greater Castellan of Bracław. Seat: Bracław
Greater Castellan of Gdańsk. Seat: Gdańsk (Danzig)
Greater Castellan of Mińsk. Seat: Mińsk
Greater Castellan of Wenden. Seat: Wenden (added after 1569)
Greater Castellan of Dorpat. Seat: Dorpat (added after 1569)
Greater Castellan of Parnawa. Seat: Parnawa (added after 1569)
Greater Castellan of Inflanty. Seat: Inflanty (Livonia) (replaced those of Wenden, Dorpat and Parnawa in 1677)
Greater Castellan of Czernihów. Seat: Czernihów

Kasztelanowie Mniejsi (Drążkowi) — Minor Castellans (there were 49).

Minor Castellan of Nowy Sącz. Seat: Nowy Sącz
Minor Castellan of Międzyrzecze. Seat: Międzyrzecze, Poznań VoivodeshipMiędzyrzecze
Minor Castellan of Wiślica. Seat: Wiślica
Minor Castellan of Biecz. Seat: Biecz
Minor Castellan of Rogoźno. Seat: Rogoźno
Minor Castellan of Radom. Seat: Radom
Minor Castellan of Zawichost. Seat: Zawichost
Minor Castellan of Ląd. Seat: Ląd
Minor Castellan of Śrem. Seat: Śrem
Minor Castellan of Żary. Seat: Żary
Minor Castellan of Małogoszcz. Seat: Małogoszcz
Minor Castellan of Wieluń. Seat: Wieluń
Minor Castellan of Przemyśl. Seat: Przemyśl
Minor Castellan of Halicz. Seat: Halicz
Minor Castellan of Sanok. Seat: Sanok
Minor Castellan of Chełm. Seat: Chełm
Minor Castellan of Dobrzyń. Seat: Dobrzyń
Minor Castellan of Połaniec. Seat: Połaniec
Minor Castellan of Przemęt. Seat: Przemęt
Minor Castellan of Krzywina. Seat: Krzywina
Minor Castellan of Czchów. Seat: Czchów
Minor Castellan of Nakło. Seat: Nakło
Minor Castellan of Rozprza. Seat: Rozprza
Minor Castellan of Biechów. Seat: Biechów
Minor Castellan of Bydgoszcz. Seat: Bydgoszcz
Minor Castellan of Brzeziny. Seat: Brzeziny
Minor Castellan of Kruszwica. Seat: Kruszwica
Minor Castellan of Oświęcim. Seat: Oświęcim
Minor Castellan of Kamieńsk. Seat: Kamieńsk
Minor Castellan of Spicymierz. Seat: Spicymierz
Minor Castellan of Inowłódz. Seat: Inowłódz
Minor Castellan of Kowale. Seat: Kowal
Minor Castellan of Santok. Seat: Santok
Minor Castellan of Sochaczew. Seat: Sochaczew
Minor Castellan of Warsaw. Seat: Warsaw
Minor Castellan of Gostyniec. Seat: Gostyniec or Goślice
Minor Castellan of Wizna. Seat: Wizna
Minor Castellan of Raciąż. Seat: Raciąż
Minor Castellan of Sierpc. Seat: Sierpc
Minor Castellan of Wyszogród. Seat: Wyszogród
Minor Castellan of Rypin. Seat: Rypin
Minor Castellan of Zakroczym. Seat: Zakroczym
Minor Castellan of Ciechanowice. Seat: Ciechanowice
Minor Castellan of Liw. Seat: Liw
Minor Castellan of Słońsk. Seat: Słońsk (present Ciechocinek)
Minor Castellan of Lubaczów. Seat: Lubaczów

Kasztelanowie Konarscy (Koniuszy) — Equerry Castellans (there were 3).

Minor Konary Castellan of Sieradz. Seat: Sieradz
Minor Konary Castellan of Łęczyca. Seat: Łęczyca
Minor Konary Castellan of Inowrocław. Seat: Inowrocław

References