View source for Subdivisions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox
|above=[[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]
|subheader=[[History of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1648)|'''1569–1648''']]
|subheaderstyle=background:#cbd7ff;
|image=[[File:Podział administracyjny I RP.png|266px]]
|caption=Administrative division of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1619, around the time of the Commonwealth's greatest extent
|header2={{Infobox|decat=yes|child=yes
|subheader=[[History of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1648–1764)|'''1667–1768''']]
|subheaderstyle=background:#cbd7ff;
|image=[[File:Administrative division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1764.png|266px]]
|caption=Administrative division of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1667–1768, following the territorial losses of the mid-17th century}}
}}

[[File:Prowincje I RP.svg|thumb|Provincial divisions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. {{legenda|#663366|[[Greater Poland Province, Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Province Greater Poland]]}}{{legenda|green|[[Lesser Poland Province, Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Province of Lesser Poland]]}}{{legenda|yellow|Province of Lithuania}}{{legenda|red|Livonia}}]]

{{Rzeczpospolita 1618}}

'''Subdivisions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth''' evolved over for centuries of its existence from the [[Union of Lublin|signing of the Union of Lublin]] to the [[Third Partition of Poland|third partition.]]

The lands that once belonged to the Commonwealth are now largely distributed among several central, eastern, and northern European countries: [[Poland]] (except [[Territorial evolution of Poland|western Poland]]), [[Lithuania]], [[Latvia]], [[Belarus]], most of [[Ukraine]], parts of [[Russia]], southern half of [[Estonia]], and smaller pieces in [[Slovakia]] and [[Moldova]].

==Terminology==
While the term "Poland" was also commonly used to denote this whole polity, Poland was in fact only part of a greater whole – the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], which comprised primarily two parts:
*the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland]] (Poland proper), colloquially "the Crown"; and
*the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]], colloquially "Lithuania".

The Crown in turn comprised two "[[prowincja]]s": [[Greater Poland]] and [[Lesser Poland]].  These and a third province, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, were the only three regions that were properly termed "provinces".  The Commonwealth was further divided into smaller administrative units known as [[voivodeship]]s (''województwa'' – note that some sources use the word [[Voivodeships of Poland|palatinate]] instead of [[voivodeship]]). Each voivodeship was governed by a [[Voivode]] (governor). Voivodeships were further divided into ''[[powiat]]s'' (often translated as county) being governed by a ''[[starosta]] generalny'' or ''grodowy''. Cities were governed by [[castellan]]s. There were frequent exceptions to these rules, often involving the ''[[ziemia]]'' subunit of administration: for details on the administrative structure of the Commonwealth, see the article on [[offices in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]].

Royal lands ([[królewszczyzna]]) further divided into ''[[starostwo|starostwa]]'', each ''starostwo'' <!--Polish language plural/singular - don't correct 'o' to 'a'-->being governed by a ''[[starosta]] niegrodowy''.

== Administrative division ==
By provinces, voivodeships and lesser entities.

===Crown of the Kingdom of Poland===
{{main|Crown of the Kingdom of Poland}}
''Crown of the Kingdom of Poland'' or just colloquially ''The Crown'' ({{langx|pl|Korona}}) is the name for the [[territory (country subdivision)|territories]] under Polish direct administration in the times of Kingdom of Poland until the end of [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] in 1795.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Coat of arms
!Banner
! Voivodeship after 1569 || Capital || Year established || Number of [[powiat]]s (counties) || Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
|[[File:POL województwo bełskie IRP COA.svg|center|frameless|44x44px]]
|
| [[Bełz Voivodeship]] || Bełz ([[Belz]]) || 1462 || 4 powiats || 9,000
|-
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Брацлавское.svg|center|frameless|43x43px]]
|
| [[Bracław Voivodeship]] || Bracław ([[Bratslav]]) || 1569 || 2 powiats || 31,500
|-
|[[File:POL województwo brzeskokujawskie IRP COA alt.svg|center|frameless|43x43px]]
|
| [[Brześć Kujawski Voivodeship]] || [[Brześć Kujawski]] || 14th century || 5 powiats || 3,000
|-
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Черниговское.svg|center|frameless|40x40px]]
|
| [[Chernihiv Voivodeship|Czernihów Voivodeship]] || Czernihów ([[Chernihiv]]) || 1635 || 2 powiats || 
|-
|[[File:POL województwo gnieźnieńskie IRP COA.svg|center|frameless|44x44px]]
|
| [[Gniezno Voivodeship]] || [[Gniezno]] || 1768 ||  3 powiats || 7,500
|-
|[[File:POL województwo brzeskokujawskie IRP COA.svg|center|frameless|44x44px]]
|
| [[Inowrocław Voivodeship]] || [[Inowrocław]] || 1364 || 3 powiats || 5,877
|-
|[[File:POL województwo kaliskie IRP COA.svg|center|frameless|44x44px]]
|
| [[Kalisz Voivodeship (1314–1793)|Kalisz Voivodeship]] || [[Kalisz]] || 1314 || 6 powiats || 15,000
|-
|[[File:COA of Kiev Voivodship XVII.png|center|frameless|40x40px]]
|
| [[Kiev Voivodeship|Kijów Voivodeship]] || Kijów ([[Kyiv]]) || 1471 || 3 powiats || 200,000
|-
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Краковское.svg|center|frameless|41x41px]]
|
| [[Kraków Voivodeship (14th century – 1795)|Kraków Voivodeship]] || [[Kraków]] || 14th century || 4 powiats || 17,500
|-
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Люблинское.svg|center|frameless|41x41px]]
|
| [[Lublin Voivodeship (1474–1795)|Lublin Voivodeship]] || [[Lublin]] || 1474 || 3 powiats || 10,000
|-
|[[File:Leczyca Voivoideship COA.svg|center|frameless|44x44px]]
|
| [[Łęczyca Voivodeship]] || [[Łęczyca]] || 1772 || 3 powiats || 4,000
|-
|[[File:COA of Prussia 17th century.svg|center|frameless|40x40px]]
|
| [[Malbork Voivodeship]] || [[Malbork]] || 1466 || 4 powiats || 2,000
|-
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Мазовецкое.svg|center|frameless|43x43px]]
|
| [[Masovian Voivodeship (1526–1795)|Masovian Voivodeship]] || [[Warsaw]] || 1526 || 23 powiats || 23,000
|-
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Подольское.svg|center|frameless|41x41px]]
|
| [[Podole Voivodeship]] || Kamieniec Podolski ([[Kamianets-Podilskyi]]) || 1434 || 3 powiats || 17,750
|-
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Познанское.svg|center|frameless|43x43px]]
|[[File:Chorągiew ziemi poznańskiej.svg|center|frameless|100x100px]]
| [[Poznań Voivodeship (14th century to 1793)|Poznań Voivodeship]] || [[Poznań]] || 14th century || 4 powiats || 15,500
|-
|[[File:POL województwo płockie COA.svg|center|frameless|44x44px]]
|
| [[Płock Voivodeship (1495–1793)|Płock Voivodeship]] || [[Płock]] || 1495 || 8 powiats || 3,500
|-
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Подляшское.svg|center|frameless|56x56px]]
|
| [[Podlaskie Voivodeship (1513–1795)|Podlaskie Voivodeship]] || [[Drohiczyn]] || 1513 || 3 powiats ||
|-
|[[File:POL województwo rawskie IRP COA.svg|center|frameless|44x44px]]
|
| [[Rawa Voivodeship]] || [[Rawa Mazowiecka]] || 1462 || 6 powiats || 6,000
|-
|[[File:COA of Ruthenian Voivodship XVII.svg|center|frameless|41x41px]]
|
| [[Ruthenian Voivodeship]] || Lwów ([[Lviv]]) || 1434 || 13 powiats || 83,000
|-
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Сандомирское.svg|center|frameless|40x40px]]
|
| [[Sandomierz Voivodeship]] || [[Sandomierz]] || 14th century || 6 powiats || 24,000
|-
|[[File:Sieradz Voivodeship COA.svg|center|frameless|44x44px]]
|
| [[Sieradz Voivodeship (1339–1793)|Sieradz Voivodeship]] || [[Sieradz]] || 1339 || 4 powiats || 10,000
|-
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Волынское.svg|center|frameless|43x43px]]
|
| [[Volhynian Voivodeship (1569–1795)|Volhynian Voivodeship]] || Łuck ([[Lutsk]]) || 1569 || 3 powiats || 38,000
|}

Two important ecclesiastical entities with high degree of autonomy within the Crown of Poland were [[Duchy of Siewierz]] and [[Prince-Bishopric of Warmia]].

Fiefs of Crown of Poland included the [[Lauenburg and Bütow Land]] and two [[condominium (international law)|condominium]]s (joint domain) with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: [[Duchy of Livonia]] and [[Duchy of Courland and Semigallia]].

Some enclaves in the Hungarian area of [[Szepes County|Spisz]] were also part of Poland (due to the [[Treaty of Lubowla]]).

=== Grand Duchy of Lithuania ===
{{main|Administrative divisions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1569–1795)}}
The [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] or just colloquially [[Lithuania]] ({{langx|lt|Lietuva}}) is the name for the territories under direct Lithuanian administration during medieval sovereign Lithuanian statehood, and later until the end of common Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth statehood in 1795.

Just before the [[Union of Lublin]] (1569), four voivodeships ([[Kiev Voivodeship|Kiev]], [[Podlaskie Voivodeship (1513–1795)|Podlaskie]], [[Bracław Voivodeship|Bracław]], and [[Wołyń Voivodeship (1569–1795)|Wołyń]]) of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] were transferred to the Polish Crown by direct order of [[Sigismund II Augustus]], and the [[Duchy of Livonia]], acquired in 1561, became a [[condominium (international law)|condominium (joint domain)]] of both Lithuania and Poland. The [[Duchy of Courland and Semigallia]] was another condominium.

After 1569, Lithuania had eight voivodeships and one eldership remaining: 
 
{| class=wikitable
|-
! Voivodeship after 1569 
!Coat of arms
!Banner|| Capital || Year established<ref name=el>{{cite encyclopedia | editor=Simas Sužiedėlis | encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Lituanica]] | title=Administration | year=1970–1978 | publisher=Juozas Kapočius | volume=I | location=Boston, Massachusetts | pages=17–21| lccn=74-114275 }}</ref> || Number of powiats || Area (km<sup>2</sup>) in 1590<ref>
{{cite book | last=Vaitiekūnas | first=Stasys | title=Lietuvos gyventojai: Per du tūkstantmečius | year=2006 | publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas | location=Vilnius | isbn=5-420-01585-4 | page=53|language=lt}}</ref>
|-
| [[Brest Litovsk Voivodeship|Brześć Litewski Voivodeship]] 
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Берестейское.svg|center|frameless|41x41px]]
|[[File:Banner of Bieraście Voivodeship.svg|center|frameless|100x100px]]|| Brześć Litewski ([[Brest, Belarus|Brest]]) || 1566 || 2 powiats || 40,600
|-
| [[Minsk Voivodeship|Mińsk Voivodeship]] 
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Минское.svg|center|frameless|41x41px]]
| || Mińsk Litewski ([[Minsk]]) || 1566 || 3 powiats ||55,500
|-
| [[Mstsislaw Voivodeship|Mścisław Voivodeship]] 
|[[File:Herbarz Kaspra Niesieckiego Витебское.svg|center|frameless|41x41px]]
|[[File:Banner of Amścisłaŭ Voivodeship.svg|center|frameless|100x100px]]|| Mścisław ([[Mstsislaw]]) || 1566 || 1 powiat || 22,600
|-
| [[Nowogródek Voivodeship (1507–1795)|Nowogródek Voivodeship]] 
|[[File:Recueil d'armoiries polonaises Новогрудское.svg|center|frameless|36x36px]]
| || Nowogródek ([[Novogrudok]]) || 1507 || 3 powiats || 33,200
|-
| [[Polotsk Voivodeship|Połock Voivodeship]] 
|[[File:Recueil d'armoiries polonaises COA of Polotsk Voivodeship.png|center|frameless|40x40px]]
| || Połock ([[Polotsk]]) || 1504 || 1 powiat || 21,800
|-
| [[Samogitian Eldership]] 
|[[File:Arms of the Duchy of Samogitia.svg|center|frameless|42x42px]]
|[[File:Flag of Samogitia.svg|center|frameless|100x100px]]|| [[Raseiniai]] || 1411 || 1 powiat || 23,300
|-
| [[Trakai Voivodeship]]
|[[File:Recueil d'armoiries polonaises COA of Trakai Voivodeship.png|center|frameless|37x37px]]
| || [[Trakai]] || 1413 || 4 powiats || 31,100
|-
| [[Vilnius Voivodeship]]
|[[File:Recueil d'armoiries polonaises COA of Vilnius Voivodeship.png|center|frameless|38x38px]]
| || [[Vilnius]] || 1413 || 5 powiats || 44,200
|-
| [[Vitebsk Voivodeship|Witebsk Voivodeship]] 
|[[File:Recueil d'armoiries polonaises COA of Vitebsk Voivodeship.svg|center|frameless|36x36px]]
|[[File:Banner of Viciebsk Voivodeship.svg|center|frameless|100x100px]]|| Witebsk ([[Vitebsk]]) || 1511 || 2 powiats || 24,600
|}

One of the oldest Lithuanian territories, the [[Duchy of Samogitia]], had a status equal to that of a voivodeship, but retained the name Duchy.

After the [[Livonian War]] (1558–1582), Lithuania acquired vassal state [[Duchy of Courland]] with capital in [[Jelgava]].

=== Fiefs ===

==== Duchy of Prussia (1569–1657) ====
{{main|Duchy of Prussia}}
The ''Duchy of Prussia'' was a [[duchy]] in the eastern part of [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]] from 1525 to 1701. In 1525 during the [[Protestant Reformation]], the [[Grand Masters of the Teutonic Knights|Grand Master]] of the [[Teutonic Knights]], Albert of Hohenzollern, secularized the Prussian [[State of the Teutonic Order]], becoming [[Albert, Duke in Prussia]]. His duchy, which had its capital in [[Königsberg]] ([[Kaliningrad]]), was established as a fief of the [[Crown of Poland]], as had been Teutonic Prussia since the [[Second Peace of Thorn (1466)|Second Peace of Thorn]] in October 1466. This treaty had ended the War of the Cities or [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–66)|Thirteen Years' War]] and provided for the Order's cession of its rights over the western half of its territories to the Polish crown, which became the province of [[Royal Prussia]], while the remaining part of the Order's land became a fief of the [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)]]. In the 17th century King [[John II Casimir of Poland]] submitted [[Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick William]] to regain Prussian suzerainty in return for supporting Poland against Sweden. On 29 July 1657, they signed the [[Treaty of Wehlau]] in [[Znamensk|Wehlau]] (Polish: Welawa; now Znamensk), whereby Frederick William renounced a previous Swedish-Prussian alliance and John Casimir recognised Frederick William's full sovereignty over the Duchy of Prussia.<ref name="Rutkowski">[[Henryk Rutkowski]], 'Rivalität der Magnaten und Bedrohung der Souveränität', in: ''Polen. Ein geschichtliches Panorama'', Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Interpress, 1983, pp. 81-91, here p. 83. {{ISBN|83-223-1984-3}}</ref> Full sovereignty was a necessary prerequisite for upgrading the Duchy to [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in 1701.

==== Duchy of Livonia (Inflanty) (1569–1772) ====
{{main|Duchy of Livonia}}
The ''Duchy of Livonia''<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=7wSnyGP1KQQC&q=%22Duchy+of+Livonia%22&pg=PA17 ''Trade, Diplomacy and Cultural Exchange: Continuity and Change in the North''] {{ISBN|90-6550-881-3}}, p 17</ref> was a territory of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] – and later a joint domain ([[Condominium (international law)|Condominium]]) of the Polish Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

====Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Courland) (1562–1791)====
{{main|Duchy of Courland and Semigallia}}
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia is a [[duchy]] in the [[Baltic states|Baltic region]] that existed from 1562 to 1791 as a vassal state of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] and later the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]. From 1685, [[District of Pilten]] was in union with the duchy. In 1791 it gained full independence, but on 28 March 1795, it was annexed by the [[Russian Empire]] in the [[Third Partition of Poland]]. The duchy also had [[Couronian colonization|colonies]] in [[Couronian colonization of the Americas|Tobago]] and Gambia

=== Protectorates ===
'''Caffa'''
{{main|Feodosia#Kaffa}}
In 1462, during the expansion of the [[Ottoman Empire]] and the Crimean Tatars, Caffa placed itself under the protection of King [[Casimir IV of Poland]]. The proposition of protection was accepted by the Polish king but when the real danger came, help for Caffa never arrived.<ref>Historia Polski Średniowiecze, Stanisław Szczur, Kraków 2002, s. 537.</ref>

==Reforms of the 1793 Grodno Sejm==
Following the territorial losses of the [[Second Partition of Poland]], the [[Grodno Sejm]] of 1793 introduced a new administrative division (italic marks new voivodeships):<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyklopedja powszechna|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3nI_AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA272|year=1866|publisher=Orgelbranda|page=272}}</ref>
* in the Crown: ''[[Chełm Voivodeship (1793)|Chełm Voivodeship]]'', ''[[Ciechanów Voivodeship (1793)|Ciechanów Voivodeship]]'', [[Kraków Voivodeship (14th century – 1795)|Kraków Voivodeship]], [[Lublin Voivodeship (1474–1795)|Lublin Voivodeship]], [[Masovian Voivodeship (1526–1795)|Masovian Voivodeship]], [[Podlaskie Voivodeship (1513–1795)|Podlasie Voivodeship]], [[Sandomierz Voivodeship]], ''[[Masovian Voivodeship (1526–1795)|Warsaw Voivodeship]]'', ''[[Włodzimierz Voivodeship]]'' and [[Volhynian Voivodeship (1569–1795)|Wołyń Voivodeship]]
* in the Grand Duchy: ''[[Brasław Voivodeship]]'', ''[[Brest Litovsk Voivodeship|Brześć Voivodeship]]'', ''[[Grodno Voivodeship (1793)|Grodno Voivodeship]]'', ''[[Merecz Voivodeship]]'', [[Nowogródek Voivodeship (1507–1795)|Nowogródek Voivodeship]], [[Troki Voivodeship]], [[Vilnius Voivodeship|Wilno Voivodeship]], ''[[Duchy of Samogitia|Żmudź Voivodeship]] (Samogitian Voivodeship)''

==Proposed divisions==

=== Polish–Lithuanian–Ruthenian Commonwealth ===
Thought was given at various times to the creation of a [[Grand Duchy of Rus' (1658)|Grand Duchy of Ruthenia]], particularly during the 1648 [[Cossack]] insurrection against Polish rule in Ukraine.  Such a Duchy, as proposed in the 1658 [[Treaty of Hadiach]], would have been a full member of the Commonwealth, which would thereupon have become a tripartite [[Polish–Lithuanian–Ruthenian Commonwealth]], but due to szlachta demands, Muscovite invasion, and division among the Cossacks, the plan was never implemented.

=== Polish–Lithuanian–Muscovite Commonwealth ===
For similar reasons, plans for a [[Polish–Lithuanian–Muscovite Commonwealth]] also were never realized, although during the [[Polish–Muscovite War (1605–18)]] the Polish Prince (later, King) [[Władysław IV Waza]] was briefly elected Tsar of Muscovy.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Administrative division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth}}
{{Polish terms for country subdivisions}}
{{Administrative division of Poland}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Administrative division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth}}
[[Category:Subdivisions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth| ]]
[[Category:Voivodeships of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania| ]]
[[Category:Former administrative divisions of Poland]]
[[Category:Political history of Lithuania]]
[[Category:Political history of Poland]]