Jan Karol Chodkiewicz

Hetman Jan Karol Chodkiewicz
Chodkiewicz wearing a traditional costume of Polish magnates
Coat of arms	Chodkiewicz coat of arms
Born	c. 1561 Vilnius, Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Died	24 September 1621 Khotyn Castle, Poland
Noble family	Chodkiewicz
Spouse(s)	Zofia Mielecka Anna Alojza Ostrogska
Issue	Hieronim Chodkiewicz Anna Scholastyka Chodkiewicz
Father	Jan Hieronimowicz Chodkiewicz
Mother	Krystyna Zborowska

Jan Karol Chodkiewicz (Lithuanian: Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius; c.1561 – 24 September 1621) was a 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.