List of political entities in the 5th century BC

The development of states—large-scale, populous, politically centralized, and socially stratified polities/societies governed by powerful rulers—marks one of the major milestones in the evolution of human societies. Archaeologists often distinguish between primary (or pristine) states and secondary states. Primary states evolved independently through largely internal developmental processes rather than through the influence of any other pre-existing state. The earliest known primary states appeared in Mesopotamia c. 3700 BC, in Egypt c. 3300 BC, in the Indus Valley c. 2500 BC, India c. 1700 BC, and in China c. 1600 BC. As they interacted with their less developed neighbors through trade, warfare, migration, and more generalized ideological influences, the primary states directly or indirectly fostered the emergence of secondary states in surrounding areas, for example, the Hittites in Anatolia, the Minoan and Mycenaean states of the Aegean, or the Nubian kingdoms in the Sudan. According to Professor Gil Stein of the University of Chicago Oriental Institute, "The excavations and archaeological surveys of the last few decades have vastly increased both the quantity and quality of what we know about ancient states and urbanism. Archaeologists have broadened the scope of their research beyond the traditional focus on rulers and urban elites. Current research now aims at understanding the role of urban commoners, craft specialists, and village-based farmers in the overall organization of ancient states and societies. Given the immense geographical scope encompassed by the term 'the Ancient World'".[1] The notion of a sovereign state arises in the 16th century with the development of modern diplomacy. For earlier times, the term "sovereign state" is an anachronism. What corresponded to sovereign states in the medieval and ancient period were monarchs ruling by the grace of God, de facto feudal or imperial autocrats, or de facto independent nations or tribal confederations. This is a list of sovereign states that existed between 500 BC and 401 BC.

Sovereign states

Map of the world in 500 BC
Sovereign state Years
Achaemenid Empire 550–330 BC
Adena culture 1000–200 BC
Ammon c. 10th century BC – 332 BC
Anga 1380–550 BC
Athens 510–322 BC
Avanti 900–322 BC
Bithynia 297–74 BC
Cappadocia 320 BC – 17 AD
Carthaginian Empire 650–146 BC
Chavín culture 900–200 BC
Chedi 600–300 BC
Chen 855–479 BC
Chera 5th century BC – 1102 AD
Chola 2645 BC – 1279 AD
Chorrera 1800–300 BC
Chu 1030–223 BC
Colchis 1300 – 2nd century AD
Corinth 700–338 BC
Cyrene 631–525 BC
Dʿmt c. 980 BC – c. 400 BC
Dardanian kingdom c.448 BC – 28 BC
Edom 1200–125 BC
Gandhara 800 BC–500 AD
Gojoseon 2333–108 BC
Han 403–230 BC
Kalinga 1376–285 BC
Kamboja 1450–195 BC
Kasi 600–345 BC
Kikata 2000–1700 BC
Kosala 1000–266 BC
Kuru 1376–285 BC
Kush 1070 BC – 350 AD
Lu 856–256 BC
Lycaonia 8th century–200 BC
Macedonia 8th century–146 BC
Mahajanapadas 600–345 BC
Malla Republics c. 7th–4th century BC
Mannai 1110–616 BC
Maya civilization 2000 BC – 900 AD
Minaea 580–85 BC
Moab 1300–400 BC
Mysia 1320–301 BC
Nanda Empire 424–321 BC
Olmec 1400–400 BC
Panchala 700–323 BC
Pandya 1350–460 BC
Paphlagonia 1480–183 BC
Paracas culture 600–175 BC
Pisidia 8000 BC – 11th century AD
Qi 1046–241 BC
Qin 845–221 BC
Roman Republic 509–27 BC
Saba 12th/8th century BC – 275 AD
Scythia 8th century BC – 2nd century AD
Sparta 11th century – 195 BC
Surasena 1000–323 BC
Ta Netjeru/Land of Punt 2400–1069 BC
Thebes 3200–30 BC
Vajjika League c. 7th century BC – c. 468 BC
Văn Lang 2879–258 BC
Vatsa 1100–323 BC
Wei 403–225 BC
Yan 865–222 BC
Zapotec civilization 700 BC – 1521 AD
Zheng 806–375 BC
Zhou 1045–256 BC

See also

List of political entities in the 5th century BC
Preceded by Sovereign states of
the 5th century BC 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ Stein, Gil J (2001). Understanding Ancient State Societies in the Old World. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Press. pp. 353–379.