In this form of society there is a definite territory and the people are ruled by a few families. The ruling families look after the subjects with paternal love and affection. Swaziland is a small state in South Africa.
The people are known as Swazis, who are a tribal group. In this tribe, there is a king who is thronged according to traditional rituals.
The powers of the ruler are supreme. But other family members also have their share in wielding of power. Even the military force considers the rulers to be the highest authority.
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Thus, in this society where there is government as well as a state, all the powers are concentrated within the ruler and his family coterie. Coronation follows rules of heredity.
Ashanti is a tribe organized among matriarchal descent groups. The tribe is found in the long track which runs through western Africa. There are eight matriarchal clans among the Ashantis. Each has its ancestor. In a single village, normally, there are plural matriarchal clans.
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Each matriarchal group sends its representative to the village council. The village council maintains law and order of the village. This is the local government of the Ashantis. Out of all the Ashanti villages, a certain big village is established as the capital.
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The government found among the Ashantis is a kind of military administration. Though there is a ruler, his relations with the military are not so strong.
Another classical example of stateless societies is that of the Nuers of southern Sudan. The Nuers have been studied by Evans-Pritchard (1940). They are a nomadic people who mainly subsist on cattle.
Although they live in small local communities, every individual has ties of solidarity with other people scattered over an enormous territory. Each Nuer has obligations and commitments towards his or her patrilineal kin; but is also tied to other groups.
Actually, a Nuer is a member of an agnatic lineage. Several lineages together form a sub- clan, and several sub-clans form a clan. The Nuer groups thus form a unity in their territory. The total Nuer group thus is a stateless society ruled by non-kinship groups.