Kauno pavietas ir Pacai
Kaunas District and Pacowie (Pacai)

Summary/Abstract: The Pacai family of the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania reached the peak of its power in the second half of the 17th century. Good relations with the kings of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and their estates, marriages, and smart politics allowed K.Z. Pac (1621–1684) to become one of the most powerful personalities of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at that time. In addition to the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, other members of the family also played an important role in the life of the state: the Grand Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Vilnius Voivodeship Michał Kazimierz Pac, Vilnius Bishop Mikołaj Stefan Pac, Samogitian Bishop Kazimierz Pac. The growth of the economic power of the nobles was related to the possession of elderships. Among the many such elderships that the Pacai family had in the second half of the 17th century and part of the 18th century were Kaunas elderships. During the 1564–1566 judicial and administrative reform, the administrative units of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania – voivodships and powiats – were newly formed. Among such newly formed administrative units was the Trakai Voivodeship, which included Grodno, Kaunas, Trakai and Upyte powiats. Kaunas powiat was the smallest among other powiats in the Trakai voivodeship and according to preliminary calcula¬tions covered an area of about 6045 km2. Such powiat boundaries existed until 1791. There were state estates in each powiat, administered by an elder appointed by the ruler. The main duty and source of income of Kaunas elders was the castle court and the eldership farm Kaunas elders Pacai: Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac (1666–1676), Mikołaj Andrzej Pac (1676–1710), Krzystof Konstanty Pac (1710–1725), Michał Pac (1778–1800).

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