Castellans of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth


Castellans of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were the lowest rank of territorial official who could sit in the Senate of Poland. Their numbers varied over time and with the shifting borders of the Commonwealth.
In the Kingdom of Poland and later in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Castellans usually deferred to the higher ranking Voivodes, excepting three Distinguished Castellans of the cities of Trakai, Vilnius, and of Kraków - who ranked higher than the Voivodes.

Competences

With the exception of the Castellan of Kraków, whose seat was representative of the Commonwealth's capital until 1596, Castellans were usually considered subordinate to Voivodes. Two castellans in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania - those of Vilnius and Trakai - were also considered privileged, and had a status equal to a voivode. Castellans were in charge of a subdivision of a Voivodeship called a Castellany until the late 15th century when domains were administratively divided into provinces in the case of larger castellanies and powiats for smaller castellanies.
From 1565, the principle of incompatibilitas precluded Voivodes and Castellans from holding a second ministerial role, except for the post of Hetman.

List

The list below is based on data from 1569. The number of castellans changed in later centuries.
  • Distinguished Castellans Kasztelanowie Wyróżnieni — of Kraków, Vilnius and Trakai were seated alongside the Voivodes:
  1. Castellan of Kraków. Seat: Kraków. Seated in the Senate, above the Voivode of Kraków.
  2. Castellan of Vilnius. Seat: Vilnius. Seated 6th in the Senate after the Voivode of Sandomierz and before the Voivode of Kalisz.
  3. Castellan of Trakai. Seat: Trakai. Seated 10th in the Senate after the Voivode of Sieradz and before the Voivode of ŁęczycaKasztelanowie Więksi — 31 Major Castellans:
  4. Greater Castellan of Poznań, Seat: Poznań
  5. Greater Castellan of Sandomierz, Seat: Sandomierz
  6. Greater Castellan of Kalisz, Seat: Kalisz
  7. Greater Castellan of Wojnicz, Seat: Wojnicz
  8. Greater Castellan of Gniezno, Seat: Gniezno
  9. Greater Castellan of Sieradz, Seat: Sieradz
  10. Greater Castellan of Łęczyca, Seat: Łęczyca
  11. Greater Castellan of Samogitia, Seat: Samogitia
  12. Greater Castellan of Brześć Kujawski, Seat: Brześć Kujawski
  13. Greater Castellan of Kijów, Seat: Kijów
  14. Greater Castellan of Inowrocław, Seat: Inowrocław
  15. Greater Castellan of Lwów, Seat: Lwów
  16. Greater Castellan of Wołyń, Seat: Wołyń
  17. Greater Castellan of Kamieniec, Seat: Kamieniec Podolski
  18. Greater Castellan of Smoleńsk, Seat: Smoleńsk
  19. Greater Castellan of Lublin, Seat: Lublin
  20. Greater Castellan of Połock, Seat: Połock
  21. Greater Castellan of Bełsk, Seat: Bełsk
  22. Greater Castellan of Nowogródek, Seat: Nowogródek
  23. Greater Castellan of Płock, Seat: Płock
  24. Greater Castellan of Witebsk, Seat: Witebsk
  25. Greater Castellan of Czersk, Seat: Czersk
  26. Greater Castellan of Podlasie, Seat: Podlasie
  27. Greater Castellan of Rawa, Seat: Rawa Mazowiecka
  28. Greater Castellan of Brześć Litewski, Seat: Brześć Litewski
  29. Greater Castellan of Chełmno, Seat: Chełmno
  30. Greater Castellan of Mścisław, Seat: Mścisław
  31. Greater Castellan of Elbląg, Seat: Elbląg
  32. Greater Castellan of Bracław, Seat: Bracław
  33. Greater Castellan of Gdańsk, Seat: Gdańsk
  34. Greater Castellan of Mińsk, Seat: Mińsk
  35. Greater Castellan of Wenden, Seat: Wenden
  36. Greater Castellan of Dorpat, Seat: Dorpat
  37. Greater Castellan of Parnawa, Seat: Parnawa
  38. Greater Castellan of Inflanty, Seat: Livonia
  39. Greater Castellan of Czernihów, Seat: CzernihówKasztelanowie Mniejsi — 49 Minor Castellans:
  40. Minor Castellan of Nowy Sącz, Seat: Nowy Sącz
  41. Minor Castellan of Międzyrzecze, Seat: Miedzyrzecze, Silesian Voivodeship
  42. Minor Castellan of Wiślica, Seat: Wiślica
  43. Minor Castellan of Biecz, Seat: Biecz
  44. Minor Castellan of Rogoźno, Seat: Rogoźno
  45. Minor Castellan of Radom, Seat: Radom
  46. Minor Castellan of Zawichost, Seat: Zawichost
  47. Minor Castellan of Ląd, Seat: Ląd
  48. Minor Castellan of Śrem, Seat: Śrem
  49. Minor Castellan of Żary, Seat: Żary
  50. Minor Castellan of Małogoszcz, Seat: Małogoszcz
  51. Minor Castellan of Wieluń, Seat: Wieluń
  52. Minor Castellan of Przemyśl, Seat: Przemyśl
  53. Minor Castellan of Halicz, Seat: Halicz
  54. Minor Castellan of Sanok, Seat: Sanok
  55. Minor Castellan of Chełm, Seat: Chełm
  56. Minor Castellan of Dobrzyń, Seat: Dobrzyń
  57. Minor Castellan of Połaniec, Seat: Połaniec
  58. Minor Castellan of Przemęt, Seat: Przemęt
  59. Minor Castellan of Krzywina, Seat: Krzywina
  60. Minor Castellan of Czchów, Seat: Czchów
  61. Minor Castellan of Nakło, Seat: Nakło
  62. Minor Castellan of Rozprza, Seat: Rozprza
  63. Minor Castellan of Biechów, Seat: Biechów
  64. Minor Castellan of Bydgoszcz, Seat: Bydgoszcz
  65. Minor Castellan of Brzeziny, Seat: Brzeziny
  66. Minor Castellan of Kruszwica, Seat: Kruszwica
  67. Minor Castellan of Oświęcim, Seat: Oświęcim
  68. Minor Castellan of Kamieńsk, Seat: Kamieńsk
  69. Minor Castellan of Spycimierz, Seat: Spycimierz
  70. Minor Castellan of Inowłódz, Seat: Inowłódz
  71. Minor Castellan of Kowale, Seat: Kowal
  72. Minor Castellan of Santok, Seat: Santok
  73. Minor Castellan of Sochaczew, Seat: Sochaczew
  74. Minor Castellan of Warsaw, Seat: Warsaw
  75. Minor Castellan of Gostyniec, Seat: Gostyniec or Goślice
  76. Minor Castellan of Wizna, Seat: Wizna
  77. Minor Castellan of Raciąż, Seat: Raciąż
  78. Minor Castellan of Sierpc, Seat: Sierpc
  79. Minor Castellan of Wyszogród, Seat: Wyszogród
  80. Minor Castellan of Rypin. Seat: Rypin
  81. Minor Castellan of Zakroczym, Seat: Zakroczym
  82. Minor Castellan of Ciechanowice, Seat: Ciechanowice
  83. Minor Castellan of Liw, Seat: Liw
  84. Minor Castellan of Słońsk, Seat: Słońsk
  85. Minor Castellan of Lubaczów, Seat: LubaczówKasztelanowie Konarscy — 3 Equerry Castellans:
  86. Minor Konary Castellan of Sieradz, Seat: Sieradz
  87. Minor Konary Castellan of Łęczyca, Seat: Łęczyca
  88. Minor Konary Castellan of Inowrocław, Seat: Inowrocław