princely states

A princely state is any state under the reign of a prince and is thus a principality taken in the broad sense. The term refers not only to sovereign nations ruled by monarchs but also to lower polities ruled by various high nobles (often vassals in a feudal system). Such states may be sovereign or not and their reigning 'princes' may actually rule or be reduced in power, as under colonial indirect rule, sometimes becoming mere figureheads.
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