Battle of Honey Springs

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This is an incomplete attempt at an exhaustive list of confederations.

Confederations of states

Includes confederations of confederations.

Name Period Notes
Three Crowned Kings 600 BCE-300 CE Three Tamil dynasties which ruled in a triumvirate in Tamilakam, South Asia.
Jin (Korean state) 4th century BC – 2nd century BC
Byeonhan confederacy 194 BC – 42 AD
Mahan confederacy 194 BC – 6th Century AD
Jinhan confederacy 194 BC – 4th Century AD
Gaya Confederacy 42-532 CE A Korean confederacy of territorial polities in the Nakdong River basin of southern Korea, growing out of the Byeonhan confederacy of the Samhan period.
Xianbei confederacy 93-234 CE Nomadic empire in Eastern Asia.
Toltec Empire 496-1122 CE Existed as a confederation between the Toltecs and the Chichimeca, simultaneously as an empire exerting control over places like Cholula.
First Turkic Khaganate 552-603 CE Göktürk confederation in Eurasia. (unsure if actually a confederation)
Oqun/Western Turkic Khaganate 603-657/742 CE Split from the First Turkic Khaganate. Bore the Nushibi confederation.
Kimek–Kipchak confederation 880-1035 CE Turkic state formed by seven peoples, including the Yemek and Kipchaks, in the area between the Ob and Irtysh rivers.
League of Mayapan 987-1461 CE Pre-Hispanic state in Yucatan.
Cuman-Kipchak Confederation 10th century-1241 CE Confederation dominated by two Turkic nomadic tribes: the Cumans (also known as the Polovtsians or Folban) and the Kipchaks in the western part of the Eurasian Steppe.
Cinque Ports 11th Century - Present A confederation of coastal towns in Kent and Sussex England that formerly existed for military and trade purposes but continues for ceremonial reasons.
Aymara kingdoms 1151-1477 CE Alliance of native polities in South America, later conquered by the Inca Empire.
Lombard League 1167-1250
Kingdom of Cusco c. 1200 – c. 1438
Livonian Confederation 1207–1561
Confederation of Madya-as 13th century-1569 CE A pre-Hispanic state that was located in the Philippines.
Chalco (altépetl) 13th century – 1521
Confederacy of Tlaxcala 1348 - 1520
Aq Qoyunlu 1378-1503
Oirat Confederation 1399-1634 CE Confederation of four Oirat tribes.
Nogai Horde 1440s-1634 CE Confederation formed by the Nogais in the Pontic-Caspian Steppe.
League of Lezhë 1444-1468 Albanian League of nobles revolting against the Ottoman empire
Aztec Empire 1428-1521 CE Alliance between three city states in Central America.
Menceyatos Confederation pre - 15th century CE Confederation on Tenerife prior to Spanish conquest of the Canary Islands. Taoro was primus inter pares.
Kwararafa Confederacy 1500-1840 CE Multi-ethnic confederation in central Nigeria.
Confederation of Shan States 1527-1550s CE Confederation in Myanmar that conquered the Ava Kingdom.
Chaubisi Rajya 16th century–1810 CE A confederation of 24 states. One of these, Gorkha, would conquer the others to later form the Kingdom of Nepal.
Baise Rajya ?-1810 CE A confederation of 22 states, later conquered by Gorkha in the unification of Nepal.
Seven Kingdoms of Kongo dia Nlaza 16th century CE Confederation of 7 kingdoms that were conquered by the Kingdom of Kongo
Confederate States of Lanao 1616-1904 CE Confederation on Mindanao, Philippines.
Old Swiss Confederacy 1291 – 1798 CE
Confederate Ireland 1642–1652
New England New England Confederation 1643–1684 CE British colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven.
Maratha Confederacy 1671-1818
Aro Confederacy 1690–1902 CE One of the two largest precolonial and colonial empires of the Igbo (Ibo) people of West Africa. (The other being the Kingdom of Nri)
Sikh Confederacy 1748-1799 CE Confederation of 12 Sikh states.
Heshun Confederation 1776-1839 CE Confederation of Kongsi republics on Borneo.
United States of America 1781–1789 CE In its first steps, the United States were a confederation of thirteen states (Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) organized under the Articles of Confederation. Superseded by the new government under the U.S. Constitution.
United Belgian States 1790
Ekiti Confederacy 1800s-1893/1914 CE Formed by the Ekiti people, a subset of Yoruba, in Nigeria.
Confederation of the Rhine 1806–1813 CE Client state of the First French Empire. Dissolved after the Battle of Leipzig in the War of the Sixth Coalition.
 United Provinces of New Granada 1811–1816 CE Secessionist state in South America later reconquered by Spain
Sweden-Norway 1814–1905 CE Personal union between Sweden and Norway. Dissolved after the 1905 Norwegian plebiscite.
German Confederation 1815–1866 CE Created as loose confederation of German states by the Congress of Vienna to replace the Holy Roman Empire. Weakened by the Austro-Prussian rivalry and the German Revolutions of 1848 before its final dissolution after Prussia's victory in the Austro-Prussian War.
League of the Free Peoples 1815-1820
Confederation of the Equator 1824
Argentine Confederation 1831–1861 CE First political organization of Argentina. Highly decentralized and without a head of state.
Peru-Bolivian Confederation 1836–1839 CE
Sonderbund 1845–1847 a rival confederation of cantons in Switzerland during the Sonderbund War
Granadine Confederation 1858–1863
 Confederate States of America 1861–1865 CE Confederation[citation needed] that was established by several southern slave states that seceded from the Union. It comprised 11 states: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. Kentucky and Missouri were both claimed by the Confederacy but never officially declared secession. The Confederation was never officially recognized as a nation, although the United Kingdom and France recognized it as a belligerent power. Was reabsorbed by the United States after the American Civil War.
North German Confederation 1867–1871 CE Military alliance of 22 states of Germany with the Kingdom of Prussia formed by the Augustbündnis. Superseded by the German Empire after the Franco-Prussian War in 1871.
Fante Confederacy 1867-1873 CE Formed by the Fante people, a subset of Akan, in Ghana.
 Austria-Hungary 1867–1918 CE Personal union between the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen. Dissolved by the Treaties of Trianon and Saint-Germain-en-Laye after World War I.
Carlist States 1872–1876 C Established by the Carlists in Basque provinces and Navarre during the war.
Confederated Republic of Altai 1918-1922 CE Attempt at creating an independent Altai, but was annexed by the Soviet Union.
Republic of the Rif 1921-1926
 Soviet Union 1922–1936 CE Originally it was a confederation between four soviet socialist republics (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic and Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic). As a confederation of member states, Soviet constitutions formally defined each member republic as a sovereign state, whose membership was voluntary, and could secede at any time. Soviet constitutions of 1936-onward defined the state as a federation. Dissolved in 1991.
Northwest Chinese Soviet Federation 1935-1936
Western Galla Confederation 1936
Netherlands-Indonesia Union 1949-1956
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland 1953–1963 CE Also known as the Central African Federation, consisting of the then-British colonies of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia, and Nyasaland (current-day Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi.)
Arab Federation 1958 CE Ephimeral union of Jordan and Iraq. Dissolved after the overthrow of King Faisal II of Iraq in the July 14 Revolution.
 United Arab Republic 1958–1961 CE Union between Syria and Egypt. Dissolved after Syria's withdrawal following the 1961 Syrian coup d'état.
United Arab States 1958–1961 CE Confederation between the United Arab Republic and North Yemen. Dissolved due to the breakup of the United Arab Republic.
Union of African States 1958–1961 CE An attempt to merge Ghana, Guinea and Mali through the views of panafricanism. Dissolved due to rising tensions between the countries after the 1963 Togolese coup d'état.
Federation of Arab Republics 1972–1977 CE An attempt to merge Libya, Egypt and Syria. Dissolved despite public approval in each of the countries due to disagreements among the governments on the terms of the merger.
Ethiopian Empire 1952–1962 CE Federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea, an attempt to merge Eritrea and Ethiopia. Dissolved after Emperor Haile Selassie I formally annexed Eritrea to Ethiopia.
Arab Islamic Republic 1974 CE Ephimeral proposed union of Libya and Tunisia.
Senegambia Confederation 1982–1989 CE Confederation that included the present-day countries of Senegal and Gambia.
Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus 1989-2000 a militarized political organization in the Caucasus
 Serbia and Montenegro 2003–2006 CE Replacing the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Dissolved after the 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum.
Novorossiya 2014-Present A Proposed and De facto Confederation that emerged during the War in Donbas.

Greek city state leagues

The Ancient Greeks formed many Leagues which often acted as confederations and alliances usually to combat a common enemy, These polities would often be known as symmachia and koinon.

Name Period Notes
Amphictyonic league
Ionian League 650 BC- 133 BC
Peloponnesian League 550 BC - 366 BC
Acarnanian League 5th Century BC - 31 BC
Thessalian League
Delian League 478-404 BCE Confederation of Greek city-states formed to fight the Achaemenid Empire.
Chalcidian League 430 BC - 348 BC
Italiote league 430 BC - 278 BC A confederation of Greek Colonies in Southern Italy
Epirote League
Aetolian League 4th century BC–188 BC
Euboean League 3rd Century BC - 2nd Century AD
Second Athenian League 378 - 355 BC A revival of the former Delian League
League of Corinth 338/337 BC – 322 BC
Arcadian League 370 BC - 2nd Century BC
League of the Islanders 314 BC - 167 BC
Achaean League 280 BC–146 BC
League of the Macedonians
Chrysaorian League
League of Free Laconians 21 BC - 297 AD

Tribal confederations

Name Period Notes
Thinite Confederacy ?-3150 BCE A speculated tribal confederation based in Thinis that constituted the Upper Egypt Kingdom.
Medjay pre 23rd century-11th century BCE Confederation of nomadic peoples in Ancient Egypt
Donghu 7th century-150 BCE Tribal confederation of Hu in Mongolia.
Dahae pre 4th century BCE-? Ancient tribal confederation in Iran.
Sarmatians 3rd century BCE-4th century CE Confederation in Iran.
Belgae pre 1st century BCE-? Confederation of tribes in northern Gaul.
Caledonian Confederacy pre 1st century-3rd century CE Confederation in Scotland during the Roman Empire.
Clan Chattan ?-present Confederation of clans in the Scottish Highlands.
Maeatae ?-3rd century CE Tribal confederation in Roman Britain.
Kabyle tribes [fr] 3rd century CE-?/present Includes the Aït Djennad [fr], Aït Ouaguenoun [fr], Aït Idjer [fr], Aït Betroun [fr], Aït Iraten [fr] and Aït Mengellat [fr] confederations of the Kabyle people. The last three make up the Igawawen.
Rouran Khaganate 330-555 CE Tribal confederation in east Asia which evolved into a state.
Tuareg Confederations 5th century-1905/1917/present CE 8 tribal confederations in the Sahara: Kel Ajjer, Kel Ahaggar, Kel Adagh, Kel Ataram, Kel Denneg, Kel Ayr, Kel Gres and Kel Owey.
Turkic tribal confederations 5th century-9th century CE Onogurs, Utigurs, Kutrigurs, Uyghurs and the Saragurs.
Toquz Oghuz 603-? CE Confederation of nine Turkic Tiele tribes.
Xueyantuo 628-723 CE Confederation of two tribes which split from Tiele.
Türgesh 699-766 Turkic tribal confederation.
Banu Hilal pre 7th century-?/present An Arab tribal confederation that migrated to the Maghreb in the Hilalian invasion of Ifriqiya with the support of the Fatimids.
Karluks 7th century-? CE Confederation of three tribes, unclear if they achieved independence at one point.
Zenata Confederation pre 8th century CE-?/present Tribal confederation that bore the Zayyanids, Marinids and Wattasids. Made up of Jarawa and Maghrawa which were tribal confederations in their own right.
Tatar confederation 8th century-1202 CE Tribal confederation in the Mongolian Plateau made up of 9 tribes.
Magyar tribes 830 CE-? Confederation of Hungarian tribes.
Danhāǧa Confederation pre 9th century CE-?/present Tribal confederation and component of the Sanhaja triad (1st type). Made up of Bavares, Igawawen and Quinquegentiani/Massylii, all being tribal confederations in their own right. Bore the Zirids, Hammadids and Fatimids.
Aznag Confederation pre 9th century CE-?/present Tribal confederation and component of the Sanhaja triad (2nd type). Bore the Almoravids.
Masmuda Confederation pre 9th century CE-?/present Tribal confederation and component of the Sanhaja triad (3rd type). Made up of Ghumara, Hintata and Barghawata, which were all tribal confederations in their own right. Bore the Almohads and Hafsids.
Muisca Confederation 9th century-1540 CE A confederation of Muisca chiefdoms in South America.
Maqil pre 11th century-?/present A Bedouin nomadic tribal confederation which migrated to the Maghreb from South Arabia in the 11th century.
Keraites 11th century-13th century CE Nestorian tribal confederation in the Altai-Sayan region.
Merkit 11th century-1200 CE Confederation of three tribes in the Mongolian Plateau.
Khamag Mongol 1130-1206 CE Considered by some to be the predecessor state to the Mongol Empire.
Ja'alin tribe pre 12th century-1820/present CE An Arab or Arabised Nubian tribal confederation located in Shendi, Sudan.
Baggara pre 14th century-?/present CE A nomadic tribal confederation in Chad which played a key role in the Mahdist War.
Iroquois Confederacy 1451 CE-present Five, later six, nations in the southern Great Lakes area. Initial members were the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations. The Tuscarora tribe joined in or around 1722
Al-Muntafiq Emirate 1530–1918 Arab Tribal Confederation in southern Iraq and Kuwait
Ait Atta Confederation 16th century CE-?/present Berber tribal confederation in south east Morocco.
Powhatan Confederacy late 16th century – 1677 Indian Confederation of Algonquian-speaking people in modern day Virginia.
Wabanaki Confederacy 1606–1862 CE, 1993 CE-present A group of Native American nations in Canada and the United States.
Iron Confederacy before 1692 - 1885
Sip Song Chau Tai pre 17th century-1954 CE Confederation of chiefdoms in mountainous north-west Vietnam. It came under French influence from 1889 to 1954, via Tonkin and then French Indochina.
Illinois Confederation 17th century - 1854
Northwestern Confederacy 1783–1795 Indian confederacy during the Northwest Indian War.
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians pre 1792-present
Zilan pre 18th century-19th century CE Confederation of Kurdish tribes on the Ottoman-Qajar frontier.
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs pre 1800-present Confederation of three Native American tribes.
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes pre 1805-present Confederation of several Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai and Pend d'Oreilles tribes in the United States.
Tecumseh's confederacy 1805-1813 Indian Confederation formed by Tecumseh.
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon pre 1854-present Confederation of 27 Native American tribes.
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation pre 1855-present Confederation of three Sahaptin-speaking Native American tribes.
Yakama Nation pre 1855-present Confederation made up of Klikitat, Palus, Wallawalla, Wenatchi, Wishram, and Yakama peoples in the United States.
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians pre 1855-present Confederation made up of 27 tribes and bands in the United States.
Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation pre 1860-present Confederation of the Upper and Lower Chehalis, Klallam, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, and Quinault peoples in the United States.
Khamseh 1861 CE-present Tribal confederation in Iran.
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation pre 1872-present Confederation of 12 tribes in the United States.
Zayane Confederation 19th century-1920 CE Tribal confederation formed by Mouha ou Hammou Zayani in the face of the French conquest of Morocco culminating in the Zaian War.
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation pre 1912-present
Tekna ?-?/present Sahrawi tribal confederation.
Reguibat ?-?/present Sahrawi tribal confederation.
Blackfoot Confederacy ? - present

References