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