Grand Chancellor of Lithuania

The Grand Chancellor of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos didysis kancleris) was one of the highest offices in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The office functioned from the middle of the 15th century until the end of the real union with the Kingdom of Poland in 1795 and its subsequent partition among Prussia, Russia and Austria.<ref name="VLE" /> The chancellor possessed the Great Seal of Lithuania and had the Lithuanian Metrica at his disposal.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

File:Metryka litewska.jpg

A Lithuanian Metrica of 1511–18, from the chancellery of Lithuanian Grand Chancellor Mikołaj Radziwiłł, written in Ruthenian.

It is thought that the role of chancellor originated from court positions of the manor of the Grand Duke of Lithuania. Although the role of a state chancellor existed since the times of Grand Duke Vytautas, it formally appeared during the reign of Casimir IV Jagiellon.<ref name="VLE">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The expanding territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the increasing value of land, property as well as judicial institutions meant an increased need for written documents. The needs of Vytautas's political diplomacy with the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Byzantine Empire and tatars were met with the creation of two chancelleries - the first of which would prepare documents in Latin and German, while the second would prepare documents in Russian. Eleven scribes worked in those offices, some of whom were sent by Vytautas's cousin and king of Poland, Jogaila, from his estate in Poland (Mikalojus Cebulka and Mikalojus Maldrzykas are examples of such scribes). It is known that three scribes came from the Teutonic Order. Scribes from Volhynia were given the task of assisting in writing Ruthenian, although it is believed that some Ruthenian documents were prepared by Lithuanians.<ref name="rank">Template:Cite book</ref> Up until the Union of Lublin the role of the Grand Chancellor would be the second highest next to the Grand Duke since he would usually reside in Poland and consequently Grand Chancellor oversaw most of the Grand Duchy's politics as well as the Lithuanian Council of Lords.<ref name="VLE" />

Since official roles weren't yet formalized, the scribe's office would be categorized as either a simple scribe or the secretary of the Grand Duke. During the reign of Casimir IV Jagiellon, the chancellery would be fully established. Its first grand chancellor was Sudivojus Valimantaitis. During the reign of Alexander Jagiellon, the chancellery became the center of the politics of the Grand Duchy. Offices became categorized into treasury-related matters and diplomacy-related matters. The Grand Chancellor would usually be a member of a noble magnate family, such as the Radziwill, Sapieha, Gasztowt families. Up until the creation of the Lithunaian Tribunal in 1581, the Grand Chancellor led the Grand Duchy's Supreme Court. In the 16th century, the number of scribes as well as literacy itself increased; tariffs and taxes would be more frequently and effectively checked within the country's territory. The Grand Chancellor would usually have a second role of being the Voivode of Vilnius as well as the Castellan of Vilnius,<ref name="rank" /> although this practice would later be abandoned. Until the creation of the Permanent Council, the Grand Chancellor would oversee relations with the Russian Empire.<ref name="VLE" />

Today the office of the chancellor has been replaced by that of the Prime Minister of Lithuania.

List of Grand Chancellors

Portrait	Name	Birth	Term	Death
	Sudivojus Valimantaitis		1441–1444
	Mykolas Kęsgaila		1444–1476	1476
	Alekna Sudimantaitis		1478–1490	1490
File:Mikolaj Radziwill Stary (304202).jpg	Mikalojus Radvila	1450	1492–1509	16 July 1509
File:Mikołaj Radziwiłł Amor Poloniae.PNG	Template:Nowrap	1470	1510–1529	1529
File:Albert Gaštold. Альбэрт Гаштольд.jpg	Albertas Goštautas	1480	Template:Nowrap	1539
	Template:Ill		1546–1549
File:Mikołaj Radziwiłł Czarny.JPG	Mikołaj "the Black" Radziwiłł	Template:Nowrap	1550–1565	28 May 1565
File:Mikałaj Radzivił Rudy. Мікалай Радзівіл Руды.jpg	Mikołaj Radziwiłł VI	1512	1565–1584	27 April 1584
File:Lew Sapieha 11.PNG	Lew Sapieha	4 April 1557	1589–1623	7 July 1633
File:Albrecht Stanisłaŭ Radzivił. Альбрэхт Станіслаў Радзівіл (P. Danckers de Rij, 1640).jpg	Albrycht Stanisław Radziwiłł	1 July 1595	1623–1656	Template:Nowrap
File:Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac.jpg	Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac	1621	1658–1684	1684
File:Marcyjan Alaksandar Aginski. Марцыян Аляксандар Агінскі (XVII).jpg	Marcjan Aleksander Ogiński	1632	1684–1690	5 January 1690
File:Dominik Mikolaj Radziwill (304624).jpg	Dominik Mikołaj Radziwiłł	1643	1690–1697	1697
File:Karol Stanisław Radziwiłł.JPG	Karol Radziwiłł	1668	1698–1719	1719
File:Michał Servacy Višniaviecki. Міхал Сэрвацы Вішнявецкі (G. Busch, 1730).jpg	Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki	13 May 1680	1720–1735	18 September 1744
File:Jan Fryderyk Sapieha.PNG	Jan Fryderyk Sapieha	1680	1635–1651	1651
File:Michał Fryderyk Czartoryski 11.PNG	Michał Fryderyk Czartoryski	1696	1752–1755	1775
File:Alaksandar Michał Sapieha. Аляксандар Міхал Сапега (J. Lampi, 1792).jpg	Aleksander Michał Sapieha	1730	1755–1793	1793
File:Jaŭchim Chraptovič. Яўхім Храптовіч (J. Grassi, 1809).jpg	Joachim Chreptowicz	4 January 1729	1793–1795	4 March 1812

Source supporting the list.<ref name="VLE"/>

See also

• Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
• Chancellor of Poland
• Offices in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth