This article discusses the organizational and administrative structure of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a confederative mixed monarchy of the period 1569–1795, comprising the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and their fiefs. The Commonwealth was governed by the Parliament (Sejm) consisting of the King, the King-appointed Senate (Voivodes, Castellans, Ministers, Bishops) and the rest of hereditary nobility either in person or through the Sejm proper (consisting of deputies representing their lands). The nobility's constitutional domination of the state made the King very weak and the commoners (burgesses and peasants) almost entirely unrepresented in the Commonwealth's political system.

Central offices

State offices The division between public and court offices in the realities of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is unclear, as all central offices originated from court positions. Some of them gained full autonomy, while others continued to perform service functions for the ruler. The state and court hierarchies overlapped, and the officials' competencies were not clearly defined. After 1565, the principle of "incompatibilitas" ("incompatibility") forbade Voivodes and Castellans to hold a second title as a Minister, except for the post of Hetman.

The system of offices in the Commonwealth was the result of equalizing the administrative hierarchies of both constituent parts of the state: the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Lithuania had its own separate court tradition, but after drawing closer to Poland at the end of the 14th century, there was a trend of copying Polish models and creating offices analogous to those existing in Poland. This process culminated in the acts of the Union of Lublin, but it continued in practice until the 18th century as part of the so-called coequation of laws. However, the direction of influence was sometimes reversed, such as in the case of the office of the court huntsman, which appeared in Poland later than in Lithuania.

Essentially, almost every central office was dual, one for Poland and the other for Lithuania. This was reflected in the title, to which an appropriate adjective was added: Crown or Lithuanian. Thus, in the Commonwealth, there were two Grand Marshals: the Crown Grand Marshal and the Lithuanian Grand Marshal. +State offices+English namePolish nameIn Poland sinceIn Lithuania sinceFunctionNotes+Ministers (senatorial)Grand MarshalMarszałek wielki1355c. 1407Taking care of the king's security and the peace and quiet in his place of residence (marshal court). Being master of royal ceremonies, managing the court and access to the sovereign. Organising and presiding over the proceedings of the senate, security of the sessions of the parliament (marshal's articles), organising the election of the sovereign.Court MarshalMarszałek nadworny1409c. 1494Aide and alternate to the Grand Marshal, he acted independently only in his absence.Also a court office. In Lithuania, there was a separate office of Court (Hospodar) Marshal in the 15th-16th century, which over time lost its importance and became a land office.Grand ChancellorKanclerz wielki10-11th c.1441Heading the greater chancellery. Directing the external policy of the state. Guarding the observance of rights. Announcement of new resolutions and laws. Presiding over the assessor court.In the Crown, the office was alternately held by a lay person and a cleric.Vice-chancellorPodkanclerzy11891566Aide and alternate to the Grand Chancellor, headed the lesser chancellery.TreasurerPodskarbi13th c.1429Managing the state's finances, issuing money, guarding the royal crown (until the 17th century).In Lithuania, held in conjunction with the office of Grand Scribe.Ministers (non-senatorial)Court TreasurerPodskarbi nadwornyc. 1454c. 1476Aide and alternate to the Treasurer. Its sole function was to manage the king's property and income.Also a court office. Since 1775 senatorial.Grand HetmanHetman wielkicirca 1485circa 1499Command of the enlisted army, administration of army finances, judicial powers over the army. Hetman issued administrative and judicial regulations for the army (Hetman's Articles). Limited right to conduct foreign policy.Appointed only during the Sejm. Since 1768 senatorial. In 1717 the power of the hetmans was limited. Also a military office.Field HetmanHetman polny1492circa 1520Aide and alternate to the Grand Hetman. Originally in Poland the commander of the Obrona potoczna, until the early 17th century appointed on an ad hoc basis.Other non-senatorial state officesGrand SecretarySekretarz wielki15041670Chancellor-like functions, without the right to sign and seal letters. In addition, sitting on the assessor court.An office held by a clergyman, the separate office of lay Grand Secretary was created in 1764.–Referendarzc. 1510c. 1539Receiving requests and complaints from private individuals and referring them to the King and Chancellors. Sitting in assessor, report and Sejm's courts.Two, a layman and a clergyman.InstigatorInstygator15861586Public prosecutorTwo, four since 1775.Vice-instigatorWiceinstygatorc. 1615Alternate to the Instigators.Abolished in 1775.Grand ScribePisarz wielki15041504Preparation of resolutions and documents. Sitting in assessor court, drafting sentences therein.One in the Crown, four in Lithuania, since 1764 four each.–Kustosz koronny/Skarbnybefore 16th c.1452The Crown Custodian guarded the royal jewels at Krakow Castle, the Skarbny guarded the treasury at Vilnius Castle.In Poland, it rose to prominence after the court was moved to Warsaw. Both the Chancellor and the Sub-Chancellor stood at the head of the chancelleries (‘greater’ and ‘lesser’), which were headed by Regents. Each chancellery employed a number of professionals: secretaries, scribes and clerks. Outside the chancellery were the Metricants, in charge of keeping the Metrics, i.e. the books in which all the documents arriving and departing from each chancellery were entered. There were four chancelleries, four Metricants and two Metrics (Crown and Lithuanian) in the whole of the Commonwealth. The Treasurers were also supported by a number of professional officials, the most important of whom were Treasury Scribes (two in the Crown, three in Lithuania). He was assisted in matters of coinage issuance by a Mincer. In addition, a number of other functionaries: dispensers, superintendents, tax collectors, customs officers and toll collectors.

Court offices Originally, all central offices were simultaneously court offices. However, in the Kingdom of Poland, the concept of the Crown, representing the state itself, was distinguished relatively early from the person of the mortal monarch. Consequently, some offices lost their direct association with the monarch and his court, becoming state offices primarily responsible for state administration. This division was never complete, but there was a group of offices whose roles were essentially limited to serving the court and the monarch. Among them, we distinguish between offices of the court () and the court offices (). The court offices attended to the king's service, while the offices of the court managed and administered the court as an institution. The court offices were further divided into the offices of the royal table and the representatives of royal majesty.

Most of these offices were of a purely honorary nature, their holders did not perform the functions associated with them, or if they did, they did so very rarely, mainly during rare grand royal ceremonies (coronations, weddings, homages etc.). Apart from the aforementioned offices, the court included a significantly larger group of people, both honorary courtiers and servants. Court offices+English namePolish nameDate of creationFunctionNotesPolandLithuania+Court offices of the royal tableKitchen-masterKuchmistrzc. 1352c. 1409Managing the royal kitchen.StolnikStolnikc. 1450c. 1501Setting the royal table, directing the serving of food.Disappeared in Poland in 1505, reappeared in 1633.Vice-cupbearerPodczaszyc. 1381c. 1410Serving liquor to the king.Initially subordinate to the Cup-bearer, later equal in rank, higher in hierarchyCarverKrajczyc. 1412c. 1446Cutting and serving food to the king.PodstoliPodstolic. 1442c. 1470Carrying ceremonial staff in front of the Stolnik.CupbearerCześnik13th c.1409Pouring liquor into goblets.Court offices of the royal majestyGrand EnsignChorąży wielkibefore 13th c.1499Carrying the royal banner during the ceremoniesCourt EnsignChorąży nadworny16461501Alternate to theSwordbearerMiecznikc. 1327c. 1496Carrying the royal sword during the ceremoniesEquerryKoniuszyc. 1507c. 1510Administration of the royal stablesIn Lithuania initially, his role was fulfilled by Koniuszy of Vilnius. State office since the 17th centuryVice-equerryPodkoniuszy17th c.c. 1617Grand HuntmasterŁowczy wielkic. 1576Administration of the royal forests and organization of huntsHonorary title since the 16th c.Court HuntmasterŁowczy nadworny17th c.c. 1596Wojskic. 1733Appeared in the 18th century in Lithuania as a dignitary.Offices of the courtPodkomorzyc. 1408c. 1428Actual management of the court, above all in the absence of the court marshal. Constantly stayed at the King's side.Oboźnyc. 1511Management of royal camp during the warfare.Different than the military office of the same name.WoźniczyManagement of royal carriages.Piwniczy–c. 1526Management of the ruler's cellars.Spiżarny–c. 1526Management of the ruler's pantry.Disappeared in early 17th c.

Military offices The highest military officials were the Hetmans, they could not be removed. Until the beginning of the 18th century, hetmans were not paid for their services. With the emergence of a standing army in the Crown in the early 16th century and the office of Hetman, a staff of military officials formed around him to assist him in his tasks. The most important among them was the Field Scribe, closely followed by the Grand Warden. Over time, the offices began to lose their professional character and became purely dignitaries, the earliest of which was the office of the Grand Oboźny, whose tasks were actually carried out by the Field Oboźny. Other offices were still truly military in the 17th century, only becoming solely dignitaries in the 18th century. The following list covers only military offices, apart from these there were a number of other posts which were not dignitaries and were usually filled by professionals, there was also a separate cadre of officers. Military officesEnglish namePolish nameDate of creationFunctionNotesPolandLithuaniaGrand WardenStrażnik wielkic. 15261635Insuring the army on the march, commanding the vanguard when the army was commanded by the king.In Poland originally with the title of Field Warden, from the 17th century of Grand Warden.Field WardenStrażnik polny17th c.c. 1624Vigilance over the security of the country's eastern borders.In Poland, appointed by the Hetman.Pisarz polnyc. 1509Conducting military administration, surveying and recording troops, inspecting strongholds in Podolia and Ukraine.Oboźny wielkiEstablishment and administration of a military camp.Oboźny polnyGenerał artyleriiReporting to the hetman, he was in charge of the administration of the artillery, armouries, arsenals and gun foundries.Gernerał inspektorInspection of all regiments.Two, appointed by the Hetman.

Provincial offices

Voivodes and castellans Of secular Senators, the foremost was the Castellan (Kasztelan) of Kraków. Other Castellans, however, were considered to be lesser dignitaries than the Voivodes.