Count Jan Mikołaj Chodkiewicz (; 14 December 1738, Gdańsk – 2 February 1781, Chernobyl) was the starost of Samogitia and Veliuona; count of Shklow and .
Biography His father, , was the Voivode of Brest-Litovsk. In 1757, after completing his studies at Vilnius University, he was appointed a Colonel to His Majesty. From 1758 to 1759, he fought in the Seven Years' War on the side of the French Royal Army.
In 1764, he became a Colonel and Counselor in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.Records of the State Congresses of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vol.I, Warsaw 2006, pg.391. He was also elected to the Convocation Sejm, representing the Duchy of Samogitia, and was an Elector for Stanisław August Poniatowski.Ludwik Zieliński, Pamiątki historyczne krajowe, Lwów 1841, pg. 25. That same year, his troops raided the Radziwiłł palace complex in Biała Podlaska.Studia Podlaskie, University of Białystok, 1997 His actions led to his being named a general officer in the Order of Saint Stanislaus.Volumina Legum, Vol.VII, St.Petersburg 1860
In 1766, he was appointed a Senator At-large. That same year, he married Maria Ludwika Rzewuska (1744-1816), daughter of the poet and Hetman, Wacław Rzewuski. They had four sons and two daughters, including Aleksander Chodkiewicz, a noted Polish patriot, and Rozalia Lubomirska, whose execution in France created an international incident.
During the Bar Confederation, he avoided making any firm commitments. While lamenting the sorry state of his oppressed country, he supported the Prussian and Russian commanders who were protecting his personal properties. Nevertheless, in 1774, he was awarded the Order of the White Eagle. In 1778, he was made a Lieutenant General in the Imperial Russian Army, but resigned after only a short time.
References
Further reading Władysław Konopczyński, "Chodkiewicz Jan Mikołaj". in: Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Vol.3, Polska Akademia Umiejętności, 1937. Reprinted in 1989 by Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich, Kraków