▁social ▁class ▁was ▁already ▁formed ▁and ▁in ▁full ▁effect ▁throughout ▁Lith u ania ; ▁for ▁quite ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁social ▁mob ility ▁remained ▁open ▁and ▁anyone ▁could ▁become ▁en no bled ▁as ▁a ▁reward ▁for ▁services ▁to ▁the ▁Grand ▁Duke . ▁In ▁time , ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁less er ▁nobles ▁decre ased ▁while ▁greater ▁nobles ▁acquired ▁increasing ly ▁more ▁power , ▁especially ▁during ▁the ▁inter reg num ▁f ights ▁following ▁V y ta ut as ' ▁death . ▁ ▁We alth ier ▁families ▁were ▁distinct ▁from ▁other ▁nobles ▁due ▁to ▁lat if und ia ▁in ▁different ▁lands ▁including ▁Lith uan ian , ▁Ruth en ian ▁and ▁even ▁Polish . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁the ▁biggest ▁land own ers ▁began ▁to ▁call ▁themselves ▁" l ords " ▁( pon ai ▁or ▁did ikai ), ▁and ▁the ▁Lith uan ian ▁Council ▁of ▁L ords ▁was ▁established ▁to ▁represent ▁their ▁interests . ▁In ▁time , ▁most ▁of ▁them ▁received ▁titles ▁such ▁as ▁du kes ▁and ▁counts , ▁borrow ed ▁from ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁Grand ▁Duch y ▁of ▁Lith u ania ▁offices ▁were ▁held ▁almost ▁exclus ively ▁by ▁magn ates . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁Lith uan ian ▁nob ility ▁stopped ▁calling ▁themselves ▁b aj or ai ; ▁they ▁adopted ▁Polish ▁term ▁sz lach ta ▁() ▁instead . ▁Land l ords ▁called ▁themselves ▁ ▁z iem ion ys ▁or ▁z iem iane . ▁ ▁Priv ile ges ▁ ▁Following ▁his ▁distribution ▁of ▁state ▁land , ▁The