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| Chiefdom |
A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in ancient tribal societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a political-ideological aristocracy relative to the general group. [1] A chiefdom is thus led by a highly ranked incumbent of an inherited political role, tribal chief or king: chiefs lead because of their ascribed status, not their achieved status, examples of this type of state would be, Aedui, Brigantes. |
| City state |
A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity, not administered as a part of another local government, whose territory consists of a sovereign city its dependencies and possibly its surrounding territory, examples of this type of state would be, Sparta, Tyre. |
| Client state |
A client state is a state that is economically, politically or militarily subordinate to another more powerful state in international affairs. [2] Types of client states include: satellite state, associated state, puppet state, neo-colony, protectorate, vassal state and tributary state, More powerful ancient states would create client states by making the leaders of that state subservient out of those it defeated, examples of this type of state would be, Armenia, Ammon, Zheng. |
| Confederation |
A confederation, in the context of the history, may refer to a semi-permanent political and military alliance consisting of multiple "nations" or "chiefdoms" or "tribes" which maintained their separate leadership, examples of this type of state would be, the Alemanni, Caledonii, Xiongnu. |
| Dukedom |
A dukedom or, duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess. Some historic duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms,others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the ancient era, examples of this type of state would be the Qin and Swabia. |
| Earldom |
An earldom is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by an Earl, Count or Countess in which case it would be called a Countship. Some historic earldom's/countship's were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms,others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the post-classical era. |
| Empire |
The English word empire derives from the Latin imperium (power, authority). Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples ( ethnic groups) united and ruled either by a monarch ( emperor, empress) or an oligarchy. An imperial political structure is established and maintained in two ways: (i) as a territorial empire of direct conquest and control with force (direct, physical action to compel the emperor's goals) or (ii) as a coercive, hegemonic empire of indirect conquest and control with power (the perception that the emperor can physically enforce his desired goals). Examples of this type of state would be, the Athenian Empire, Median Empire and Roman Empire. |
| Federation |
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| Khanate |
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| Kingdom |
A kingdom is a state ruled by a king or queen) is a form of government in which sovereignty is actually or nominally embodied in a single individual (the monarch). [3] Forms of monarchy differ widely based on the level of legal autonomy the monarch holds in governance, the method of selection of the monarch, and any predetermined limits on the length of their tenure. When the monarch has no or few legal restraints in state and political matters, it is called an absolute monarchy and is a form of autocracy. Examples of this type of state would be, Epirus, Nabatea and Pontus. |
| Marquess |
A marquess or marquisate is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a Marquis or marchioness .Some historic marquisate's were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms,others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the ancient era, examples of this type of state would be the Jin. |
| Principality |
A principality, or princedom, can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince. Most of these states have historically been a polity, but in some occasions were rather territories in respect of which a princely style is held. The prince's estate and wealth may be located mainly or wholly outside the geographical confines of the principality. Examples of this type of state would be: Gardman, Corduene. |
| Republic |
A republic is a form of government in which power is exercised by the public at large, and affairs of state are a concern of the public sphere (from Latin: res publica), rather than privately accommodated (such as through inheritance or divine mandate). In modern times the definition of a republic is also commonly limited to a government which excludes a monarch. Examples: Roman Republic, and Kalinga. |
| Viscountcy |
A viscountcy, or county, is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a viscount or viscountess. Some historic viscountcies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the ancient era. Examples of this type of state would be: Xu, Chu. |
