Jan Karol Chodkiewicz

Jan Karol Chodkiewicz (; 1561 – 24 September 1621) was a Polish–Lithuanian military commander of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, who was from 1601 Field Hetman of Lithuania, and from 1605 Grand Hetman of Lithuania. He was one of the most prominent noblemen and military commanders of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth of his era. His coat of arms was Chodkiewicz, as was his family name.

He played a major role, often as the top commander of the military of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, in the Wallachian campaign of 1599–1601, the Polish–Swedish War of 1600–11, the Polish–Muscovite War of 1605–18, and the Polish–Ottoman War of 1620–1621. His most famous victory was the Battle of Kircholm in 1605, in which he dealt a major defeat to a Swedish army three times the size of his own. He died on the front lines during the battle of Khotyn, in the besieged Khotyn Fortress, a few days before the Ottomans gave up on the siege and agreed to negotiate.

Biography

Early life Chodkiewicz was born around 1561 (exact date of his birth is unknown) as the son of Jan Hieronimowicz Chodkiewicz, Grand Marshal of Lithuania, castellan of Vilnius and Krystyna Zborowska, daughter of a Polish magnate family of Zborowski. Also, a new Lithuanian award Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius Gold Medal for State Strengthening Activities was established, with its first laureate being Jonas Ohmanas. Also, Lithuanian Armed Forces Motorized Infantry Brigade Žemaitija was renamed to Lithuanian Grand Hetman Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius Infantry Brigade Žemaitija.