Administration of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Timeline

1. 1323–1384Vilnius · VilniusAfter Gediminas established Vilnius as his capital in 1323, the Grand Duchy's administration covered Lithuania proper and numerous Ruthenian lands, with voivodes, castle captains, and local customary-law courts, coordinated by the grand duke's privy council on military and diplomatic affairs.
2. 1385–1386Kreva · Grodno RegionIn 1385 Jagiełło concluded the Union of Kreva with Polish Queen Jadwiga, pledging to convert to Catholicism and unite Lithuania with Poland. After Jagiełło was crowned King of Poland in 1386, the Grand Duchy's administration began to align in parallel with Polish crown institutions, forming a dual-track governance under a personal union.
3. 1387–1390Vilnius · VilniusIn 1387 Jagiełło issued a charter establishing Catholicism's status in Lithuania and granting privileges to the nobility, pushing administration, the church, and land law toward Western European models. By around 1390, the distribution of power with nobles such as Vytautas became the new focus of Grand Duchy governance.