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