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 Troki, 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 Wilno and Troki - were also considered privileged, and had a status equal to a voivode. Castellans were in charge of a subdivision of a Voivodship 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" - "incompatibility" - 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.
  1. Castellan of Kraków . Seat: Kraków. Seated in the Senate, above the Voivode of Kraków.
  2. Castellan of Wilno . Seat: Wilno. Seated 6th in the Senate after the Voivode of Sandomierz and before the Voivode of Kalisz.
  3. Castellan of Troki. Seat: Troki. Seated 10th in the Senate after the Voivode of Sieradz and before the Voivode of Łęczyca
  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
  9. Greater Castellan of Brześć Kujawski, Seat: Brześć Kujawski
  10. Greater Castellan of Kijów, Seat: Kijów
  11. Greater Castellan of Inowrocław, Seat: Inowrocław
  12. Greater Castellan of Lwów, Seat: Lwów
  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
  31. Greater Castellan of Mińsk, Seat: Mińsk
  32. Greater Castellan of Wenden, Seat: Wenden
  33. Greater Castellan of Dorpat, Seat: Dorpat
  34. Greater Castellan of Parnawa, Seat: Parnawa
  35. Greater Castellan of Inflanty, Seat: Inflanty
  36. Greater Castellan of Czernihów, Seat: Czernihów
  1. Minor Castellan of Nowy Sącz, Seat: Nowy Sącz
  2. Minor Castellan of Międzyrzecze, Seat: Miedzyrzecze, Silesian Voivodeship
  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 Spycimierz, Seat: Spycimierz
  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
  46. Minor Castellan of Lubaczów, Seat: Lubaczów
  1. Minor Konary Castellan of Sieradz, Seat: Sieradz
  2. Minor Konary Castellan of Łęczyca, Seat: Łęczyca
  3. Minor Konary Castellan of Inowrocław, Seat: Inowrocław