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 (Polish: Kasztelan) 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.

1. Castellan of Kraków (Cracow) (kasztelan krakowski). Seat: Kraków. Seated first in the Senate, before the Voivode of Kraków.
2. Castellan of Wilno (Vilnus) (kasztelan wileński). Seat: Wilno. Seated 6th in the Senate after the Voivode of Sandomierz and before the Voivode of Kalisz.
3. 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).

1. Greater Castellan of Poznań. Seat: Poznań
2. Greater Castellan of Sandomierz. Seat: Sandomierz
3. Greater Castellan of Kalisz. Seat: Kalisz
4. Greater Castellan of Wojnicz. Seat: Wojnicz
5. Greater Castellan of Gniezno. Seat: Gniezno
6. Greater Castellan of Sieradz. Seat: Sieradz
7. Greater Castellan of Łęczyca. Seat: Łęczyca
8. Greater Castellan of Źmudź. Seat: Żmudź (Samogita)
9. Greater Castellan of Brześć Kujawski. Seat: Brześć Kujawski
10. Greater Castellan of Kijów. Seat: Kijów (Kiev)
11. Greater Castellan of Inowrocław. Seat: Inowrocław
12. Greater Castellan of Lwów. Seat: Lwów (Lviv)
13. Greater Castellan of Wołyń. Seat: Wołyń
14. Greater Castellan of Kamieniec. Seat: Kamieniec Podolski
15. Greater Castellan of Smoleńsk. Seat: Smoleńsk
16. Greater Castellan of Lublin. Seat: Lublin
17. Greater Castellan of Połock. Seat: Połock
18. Greater Castellan of Bełsk. Seat: Bełsk
19. Greater Castellan of Nowogródek. Seat: Nowogródek
20. Greater Castellan of Płock. Seat: Płock
21. Greater Castellan of Witebsk. Seat: Witebsk
22. Greater Castellan of Czersk. Seat: Czersk
23. Greater Castellan of Podlasie. Seat: Podlasie
24. Greater Castellan of Rawa. Seat: Rawa Mazowiecka
25. Greater Castellan of Brześć Litewski. Seat: Brześć Litewski
26. Greater Castellan of Chełmno. Seat: Chełmno
27. Greater Castellan of Mścisław. Seat: Mścisław
28. Greater Castellan of Elbląg. Seat: Elbląg
29. Greater Castellan of Bracław. Seat: Bracław
30. Greater Castellan of Gdańsk. Seat: Gdańsk (Danzig)
31. Greater Castellan of Mińsk. Seat: Mińsk
32. Greater Castellan of Wenden. Seat: Wenden (added after 1569)
33. Greater Castellan of Dorpat. Seat: Dorpat (added after 1569)
34. Greater Castellan of Parnawa. Seat: Parnawa (added after 1569)
35. Greater Castellan of Inflanty. Seat: Inflanty (Livonia) (replaced those of Wenden, Dorpat and Parnawa in 1677)
36. Greater Castellan of Czernihów. Seat: Czernihów

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

1. Minor Castellan of Nowy Sącz. Seat: Nowy Sącz
2. Minor Castellan of Międzyrzecze. Seat: Międzyrzecze, Poznań VoivodeshipMiędzyrzecze
3. Minor Castellan of Wiślica. Seat: Wiślica
4. Minor Castellan of Biecz. Seat: Biecz
5. Minor Castellan of Rogoźno. Seat: Rogoźno
6. Minor Castellan of Radom. Seat: Radom
7. Minor Castellan of Zawichost. Seat: Zawichost
8. Minor Castellan of Ląd. Seat: Ląd
9. Minor Castellan of Śrem. Seat: Śrem
10. Minor Castellan of Żary. Seat: Żary
11. Minor Castellan of Małogoszcz. Seat: Małogoszcz
12. Minor Castellan of Wieluń. Seat: Wieluń
13. Minor Castellan of Przemyśl. Seat: Przemyśl
14. Minor Castellan of Halicz. Seat: Halicz
15. Minor Castellan of Sanok. Seat: Sanok
16. Minor Castellan of Chełm. Seat: Chełm
17. Minor Castellan of Dobrzyń. Seat: Dobrzyń
18. Minor Castellan of Połaniec. Seat: Połaniec
19. Minor Castellan of Przemęt. Seat: Przemęt
20. Minor Castellan of Krzywina. Seat: Krzywina
21. Minor Castellan of Czchów. Seat: Czchów
22. Minor Castellan of Nakło. Seat: Nakło
23. Minor Castellan of Rozprza. Seat: Rozprza
24. Minor Castellan of Biechów. Seat: Biechów
25. Minor Castellan of Bydgoszcz. Seat: Bydgoszcz
26. Minor Castellan of Brzeziny. Seat: Brzeziny
27. Minor Castellan of Kruszwica. Seat: Kruszwica
28. Minor Castellan of Oświęcim. Seat: Oświęcim
29. Minor Castellan of Kamieńsk. Seat: Kamieńsk
30. Minor Castellan of Spicymierz. Seat: Spicymierz
31. Minor Castellan of Inowłódz. Seat: Inowłódz
32. Minor Castellan of Kowale. Seat: Kowal
33. Minor Castellan of Santok. Seat: Santok
34. Minor Castellan of Sochaczew. Seat: Sochaczew
35. Minor Castellan of Warsaw. Seat: Warsaw
36. Minor Castellan of Gostyniec. Seat: Gostyniec or Goślice
37. Minor Castellan of Wizna. Seat: Wizna
38. Minor Castellan of Raciąż. Seat: Raciąż
39. Minor Castellan of Sierpc. Seat: Sierpc
40. Minor Castellan of Wyszogród. Seat: Wyszogród
41. Minor Castellan of Rypin. Seat: Rypin
42. Minor Castellan of Zakroczym. Seat: Zakroczym
43. Minor Castellan of Ciechanowice. Seat: Ciechanowice
44. Minor Castellan of Liw. Seat: Liw
45. Minor Castellan of Słońsk. Seat: Słońsk (present Ciechocinek)
46. Minor Castellan of Lubaczów. Seat: Lubaczów

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

1. Minor Konary Castellan of Sieradz. Seat: Sieradz
2. Minor Konary Castellan of Łęczyca. Seat: Łęczyca
3. Minor Konary Castellan of Inowrocław. Seat: Inowrocław

References

• Urzedy Staropolskie, Przemysław Bielewicz, Polish
• Urzędy główne i sejmowanie do połowy XVIII w. "Dzieje administracji w Polsce w zarysie", Feliks Koneczny, Polish