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 300 BC and 201 BC.
| Sovereign state | Years |
|---|---|
| Achaea – Achaean League | |
| Adena culture | 1000 - 200 BC |
| Aetolia – Aetolian League | |
| Albania – Kingdom of Albania | 4th century BC - 8th century AD |
| Atropatene – Kingdom of Atropatene | 320s BC - 3rd century AD |
| Axum – Axumite Empire | |
| Bithynia | 297 - 74 BC |
| Bosporus – Bosporan Kingdom | |
| Carthage | 650 - 146 BC |
| Chavín culture | 900 - 200 BC |
| Chera Kingdom | 5th century BC - 1102 AD |
| Chola | |
| Chorrera | 1800 - 300 BC |
| Chu - State of Chu | 1030 - 223 BC |
| Dongye - Korean chiefdom | 3rd century BC - 5th century AD |
| Eastern Zhou – Kingdom of Eastern Zhou | 256 - 249 BC |
| Ethiopia – Ethiopian Empire | 980 BC - 1974 |
| Gojoseon – Ancient Korean Kingdom | 2333 - 108 BC |
| Greco-Bactrian Kingdom | 256 - 125 BC |
| Han – Han Dynasty | 206 BC - 220 AD |
| Han – State of Han | 403 - 230 BC |
| Jin State – Korean state | 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC |
| Kush – Kingdom of Kush | 1070 BC - 350 AD |
| Lu – State of Lu | 856 - 256 BC |
| Lycaonia | 8th century - 200 BC |
| Macedonia | 8th century - 146 BC |
| Maurya Empire | 321 - 185 BC |
| Maya civilization | |
| Minyue | 224 - 110 BC |
| Numidia – Kingdom of Numidia | 202 - 46 BC |
| Paracas culture | 600 - 175 BC |
| Pontus - Kingdom of Pontus | 291 BC - 62 AD |
| Parthian Empire – State of Qi | 247 BC - 224 AD |
| Qi – State of Qi | 1046 - 241 BC |
| Qin – State of Qin | 845 BC - 221 |
| Qin – Qin Dynasty | 221 BC - 206 BC |
| Roman Republic | 509 - 27 BC |
| Sātavāhana Empire | 230 BC - AD 220 |
| Scythia | 8th century BC - 2nd century AD |
| Seleucid Empire | 312 - 63 BC |
| Sparta | 11th century BC - 195 BC |
| Văn Lang | 2879 - 258 BC |
| Wei - State of Wei | 403 - 225 BC |
| Yan – State of Yan | 865 - 222 BC |
| Zhoa – State of Zhoa | 403 - 222 BC |
| Zhou – Zhou Dynasty | 1045 - 256 BC |