This is a list of societies that have been described as examples of stateless societies.
There is no universally accepted definition of what constitutes a state,[1] or to what extent a stateless group must be independent of the de jure or de facto control of states so as to be considered a society by itself.
The following groups have been cited as examples of stateless societies by some commentators.
Society | Period | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Essenes | 2nd century BCE – 1st century CE | Mystic Jewish sect with communal living practices. | |
Icelandic Commonwealth | 930–1262 | Society in Iceland established by Norse and Catholic people. | [2][3] |
Frisian freedom | 800–1523 | Territory notably not run under the feudal practices normal in Europe at the time. | |
Taborites | 1420–1452 | Hussite faction which maintained an independent Tábor. Arguably a prototypical anarcho-communist society. | [4] |
Republic of Cospaia | 1440–1826 | Microstate created by historical anomaly, independent of bordering major powers. This territory lacked many state-like apparatuses. | [5] |
South Carolina Commune | 1868–1874 | Black-led reconstruction government in South Carolina. Considered a commune by W. E. B. Du Bois. | [6] |
Human society predates the existence of states, meaning that the history of almost any ethnic group would include pre-state organisation. The groups listed below have been identified as examples of stateless societies by various commentators, including discussions relating to anarchism.
Society | Provisioning system | Homeland | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Aboriginal Australians | Various | Australia | [7] |
Imazighen | Agricultural | Maghreb | [7] |
Andamanese | Hunter-gatherer | Andaman Islands | [8] |
Anga | Horticultural | Jos Plateau | [9] |
Anuak | Horticultural | Anuak Zone, Gambela | [7] |
Bassa | Subsistence agriculture | Bassaland | [9] |
Berom | Subsistence agriculture | Jos Plateau | [9] |
Birifor | Volta | [9] | |
Bobo | Subsistence agriculture | Bobo-Dioulasso | [9] |
Cherokee | Agricultural | Cherokee Nation | [10] |
Croatan | Subsistence agriculture | Croatan Sound | [11] |
Dan | Agricultural | Man | [9] |
Dayak | Agricultural | Borneo | [7] |
Dogon | Subsistence agriculture | Dogon country | [9] |
Ekoi | Horticultural | Ekoi land | [9] |
Gagu | Pastoral agriculture | [9] | |
Grebo | Grebo land | [9] | |
Hopi | Agricultural | Hopi Nation | [12] |
Ibibio | Horticultural | Akwa Ibom | [9] |
Idoma | Hunter-gatherer | Benue | [9] |
Ifugao | Horticultural | Ifugao | [7] |
Igbo | Horticultural | Igboland | |
Ijaw | Horticultural | Niger Delta | [9] |
Inuit | Hunter-gatherer | Arctic | [7] |
Kissi | Subsistence agriculture | Guinea Highlands | [9] |
Konkomba | Horticultural | Northern Ghana | [7][9] |
Kru | Fishing | Grand Kru County | [9] |
Kusasi | Kasaug Traditional Area | [9] | |
Lugbara | Subsistence agriculture | West Nile | [7] |
Mamprusi | East Mamprusi | [9] | |
Mano | Horticultural | Nimba County | [9] |
Mapuche | Pastoral agriculture | Araucanía | [13] |
Maragoli | Vihiga County | [9] | |
Mbuti | Hunter-gatherer | Ituri Rainforest | [14] |
Niitsitapi | Hunter-gatherer | Blackfeet Nation | [15] |
Nubian | Agricultural | Nubia | [16] |
Nuer | Pastoralism | Nuer Zone, Gambela | [9] |
Pequot | Agricultural | Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation | [17] |
Piaroa | Subsistence agriculture | Orinoco | [18] |
Puliklah | Hunter-gatherer | Yurok Indian Reservation | [7] |
Tallensi | Horticultural | Tallensi Traditional Area | [9] |
Plateau Tonga | Subsistence agriculture | Binga | [7] |
Quinnipiac | Hunter-gatherer | Quinnipiac River | [19] |
Sami | Pastoralism | Sápmi | [7] |
San | Hunter-gatherer | Central Kalahari | [20] |
Santals | Agricultural | Jharkhand | [7] |
Semai | Subsistence agriculture | Perak | [21] |
Seminoles | Hunter-gatherer | Seminole Nation | [22] |
Shona | Subsistence agriculture | Mashonaland | [9] |
Tiv | Horticultural | Tivland | [7][9] |
Urhbo | Subsistence agriculture | Niger Delta | [9] |
Zomia | [23] |
<ref>
tag; no text was provided for refs named :Africa
Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List of stateless societies.
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