List of sovereign states in the 4th 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 Mesopatamia ca. 3700 B.C., in Egypt ca. 3300 B.C., in the Indus Valley ca. 2500 B.C., India ca 1700 B. C.,and in China ca. 1600 B.C. 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'". 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 400 BC and 301 BC.

Sovereign states

Map of Earth in 400 BC

Sovereign state	Years
Achaemenid Empire	550 - 330 BC
Adena culture	1000 - 200 BC
Albania	4th century BC - 8th century AD
Ammon	c.10th century - 332 BC
Athens	510 - 322 BC
Atropatene	320s BC - 3rd century AD
Bithynia
Carthaginian Empire	650 - 146 BC
Chavín culture	900 - 200 BC
Chera Kingdom	5th century BC - AD 1102
Chola
Chorrera	1800 - 300 BC
Chu	1030 - 223 BC
Corinth
Cyrene
Dʿmt	c.980 - c.400 BC
Dardanian Kingdom	c.448 BC – 28 BC
Gojoseon	2333 - 108 BC
Han	403 - 230 BC
Iberia	302 BC - 580 AD
Japan	660 BC - present
Kalinga
Kush	1070 BC - 350 AD
Lu	856 - 256 BC
Lycaonia	8th century - 200 BC
Macedonia	8th century - 146 BC
Maya civilization
Meroë
Nanda Empire	424 - 321 BC
Olmec	1400 - 400 BC
Pandya
Paracas culture	600 - 175 BC
Ptolemaic Kingdom	305 - 30 BC
Qi	1046 - 241 BC
Qin	845 - 221 BC
Roman Republic	509 - 27 BC
Saba
Scythia	8th century BC - 2nd century AD
Seleucid Empire	312 - 63 BC
Sparta	11th century - 195 BC
Taranto
Thebes
Văn Lang	2879 - 258 BC
Wei	403 - 225 BC
Xie
Yan	865 - 222 BC
Yue	334 - 334 BC
Zheng	806 - 375 BC
Zhoa	403 - 222 BC
Zhou	1045 - 256 BC

See also

• List of Bronze Age states
• List of Iron Age states
• List of Classical Age states
• List of states during Late Antiquity
• List of states during the Middle Ages

List of sovereign states in the 4th century BC
Preceded by 5th century BC	Sovereign states of the 4th century BC	Succeeded by 3rd century BC