Early "republics" or Gaṇa sangha

Early "republics" or Gaṇa sangha, such as Shakyas, Koliyas, Mallas, and Licchavis had republican governments. Gaṇa sanghas, such as Mallas, centered in the city of Kusinagara, and the Vajjian Confederacy, centered in the city of Vaishali, existed as early as the 6th century BCE and persisted in some areas until the 4th century CE.