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. 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. 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. 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
Lithuanian 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, although this practice would later be abandoned. Until the creation of the
Permanent Council, the Grand Chancellor would oversee relations with the
Russian Empire. Today the office of the chancellor has been replaced by that of the
Prime Minister of Lithuania. ==List of Grand Chancellors==