On various historical maps of Poland, the PLC is often depicted in its entirety, without any internal separation into Poland and Lithuania, implying that Lithuania was subordinate to Poland. Was Lithuania really an equal partner in the relationship, as the name PLC suggests, or should it be viewed as a vassal state under Polish control?
The relationship between the two countries started out with relative equality, given that the Lithuanian side provided most of the military might. By the time the Commonwealth was created, the Polish had an upper hand on the political end of of things. More nobility and so on who had wider international connections.