„Ludzie władzy” z kręgów senatorsko-dygnitarskich Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego (1778–1784). O trudnościach na drodze z litewskiej prowincji do Warszawy
‘Men of Power’ from the Senatorial and Dignitary Circles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1778–1784). On the Difficulties on the Road from the Lithuanian Province to Warsaw

Summary/Abstract: The term ‘men of power’ denotes the group that exerted a genuine influence on governance. During the reign of Stanislas Augustus, these were individuals closely associated with the monarch, who resided in the capital for extended periods and were instrumental in the conduct of political affairs. A cursory analysis suggests that Lithuanians were a minority within this group, particularly if the magnate families – the Czartoryskis, Radziwiłłs, and Sapiehas – are omitted, as their social standing inherently secured them a place among the ‘men of power’. This supposition aligns with the conventional view that Lithuanians took little interest in the affairs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a notion purportedly evidenced by the lower attendance of their senators to those of the Crown. However, the statistics warrant a different conclusion: proportional to their total numbers, Lithuanian senators were generally present at Sejm sessions in slightly higher numbers than their counterparts of the Crown. Their perceived lack of engagement in advancing careers in Warsaw was determined by factors other than political distance, often incorrectly conflated with Lithuanian separatism. Instead, it stemmed primarily from their strong ties to their “little homelands”, pragmatic concerns regarding higher costs and uncertain prospects for success, and the difficulties of family separation, as significant distances made it difficult to sustain family bonds.

• Details
• Contents