▁granted ▁privileges ▁for ▁their ▁military ▁service ▁to ▁the ▁Grand ▁Duch y . ▁The ▁Polish - L ith uan ian ▁Commonwealth ▁had ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁percent ages ▁of ▁nob ility ▁in ▁Europe , ▁close ▁to ▁ 1 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁population , ▁in ▁some ▁regions , ▁like ▁Sam og it ia , ▁it ▁was ▁closer ▁to ▁ 1 2 %. ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Grand ▁Duch y ▁of ▁Lith u ania ▁▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Lith uan ian ▁state ▁by ▁Mind aug as , ▁less er ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁nob ility ▁were ▁called ▁b aj or ai ▁( sing ular ▁- ▁b aj or as ) ▁and ▁greater ▁nobles , ▁kun ig ai ▁( sing ular ▁- ▁kun ig as ), ▁from ▁the ▁Old ▁, ▁meaning ▁" king ", ▁or ▁, ▁usually ▁translated ▁as ▁du ke , ▁. ▁ ▁These ▁positions ▁evol ved ▁from ▁trib al ▁leaders , ▁and ▁were ▁chief ly ▁responsible ▁for ▁w aging ▁wars ▁and ▁organ izing ▁ra ids ▁operations ▁into ▁enemy ▁territ ories . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁un ified ▁state , ▁they ▁gradually ▁became ▁sub ordinates ▁to ▁greater ▁D uk es , ▁and ▁later ▁to ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁Lith u ania . ▁After ▁Mind aug as ' ▁death , ▁all ▁Lith uan ian ▁r ul ers ▁held ▁the ▁title ▁Grand ▁Duke ▁( ), ▁or ▁king ▁( re x ▁which ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁Ged imin as ' ▁title ). ▁ ▁Eth nic ▁Lith uan ian ▁nob ility ▁had ▁different ▁names ▁than ▁common ▁people ,