The Muslim bodyguards of the Grand Duke of Lithuania

In the 14th century, Grand Duke Vytautas the Great brought Tatar families to Lithuania to form his close guard at Trakai Castle. Practicing Islam while the local population did not, these populations benefited from freedom of worship and a tax exemption in exchange for mandatory military service. After the Polish-Lithuanian unification of 1385, these Tatar communities settled permanently in several villages in the region.