# 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 (Polish: Kasztelan) usually deferred to the higher ranking Voivodes (Polish: Wojewoda), 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 Voivodship called a Castellany (Polish: Kasztelania) 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.
* Distinguished Castellans Kasztelanowie Wyróżnieni — of Kraków, Vilnius and Trakai were seated alongside the Voivodes:
* Castellan of Kraków (kasztelan krakowski). Seat: Kraków. Seated in the Senate, above the Voivode of Kraków.
* Castellan of Vilnius (kasztelan wileński). Seat: Vilnius. Seated 6th in the Senate after the Voivode of Sandomierz and before the Voivode of Kalisz.
* Castellan of Trakai (kasztelan trocki). Seat: Trakai. Seated 10th in the Senate after the Voivode of Sieradz and before the Voivode of Łęczyca
* Kasztelanowie Więksi (Krzesłowi) — 31 Major Castellans:
* 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 Samogitia, Seat: Samogitia
* Greater Castellan of Brześć Kujawski, Seat: Brześć Kujawski
* Greater Castellan of Kijów, Seat: Kijów (Kyiv, also Kiev)
* Greater Castellan of Inowrocław, Seat: Inowrocław
* Greater Castellan of Lwów, Seat: Lwów (Lviv)
* Greater Castellan of Wołyń, Seat: Wołyń (Volhynia)
* Greater Castellan of Kamieniec, Seat: Kamieniec Podolski (Kamianets-Podilskyi)
* Greater Castellan of Smoleńsk, Seat: Smoleńsk (Smolensk)
* Greater Castellan of Lublin, Seat: Lublin
* Greater Castellan of Połock, Seat: Połock (Polotsk)
* Greater Castellan of Bełsk, Seat: Bełsk (Belz)
* Greater Castellan of Nowogródek, Seat: Nowogródek (Novogrudok)
* Greater Castellan of Płock, Seat: Płock
* Greater Castellan of Witebsk, Seat: Witebsk (Vitebsk)
* 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 (Brest)
* Greater Castellan of Chełmno, Seat: Chełmno
* Greater Castellan of Mścisław, Seat: Mścisław (Mstsislaw)
* Greater Castellan of Elbląg, Seat: Elbląg
* Greater Castellan of Bracław, Seat: Bracław (Bratslav)
* Greater Castellan of Gdańsk, Seat: Gdańsk (Danzig)
* Greater Castellan of Mińsk, Seat: Mińsk
* Greater Castellan of Wenden, Seat: Wenden (Cēsis, added after 1569)
* Greater Castellan of Dorpat, Seat: Dorpat (Tartu, added after 1569)
* Greater Castellan of Parnawa, Seat: Parnawa (Pärnu, added after 1569)
* Greater Castellan of Inflanty, Seat: Livonia (replaced those of Wenden, Dorpat and Parnawa in 1677)
* Greater Castellan of Czernihów, Seat: Czernihów
* Kasztelanowie Mniejsi (Drążkowi) — 49 Minor Castellans:
* Minor Castellan of Nowy Sącz, Seat: Nowy Sącz
* Minor Castellan of Międzyrzecze, Seat: Miedzyrzecze, Silesian Voivodeship
* 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 (Halych)
* 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 Spycimierz, Seat: Spycimierz
* 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) — 3 Equerry Castellans:
* Minor Konary Castellan of Sieradz, Seat: Sieradz
* Minor Konary Castellan of Łęczyca, Seat: Łęczyca
* Minor Konary Castellan of Inowrocław, Seat: Inowrocław