Is it the country or the state that came first?
To answer this question, one must first describe the two concepts. A country is a culturally homogeneous society consisting of more than one tribe or group with similar customs, practices, and history. A state, on the other hand, is a form of government with specifically defined boundaries and jurisdiction. A country has unique characteristics such as a national language, beliefs, history, and customs. Throughout history, tribes lived next to one another eventually consolidated due to conquest and colonization, culminating in the creation of a larger nation. Populations with common culture and traditions were forced together as more tribes combined. With time, the different languages and cultures unified with each group assimilating the habits and customs of the other to form one big family.
Development of States from Tribes
It is important to note that most tribes in the olden times were nomads. Therefore, as more tribes joined the union, the group became too large to comfortably move around, so they opted to live in a permanent place. They also had to form armies so as to protect their resources from invasion by other nations. The kings, therefore, set up local administration as well as laws aimed at controlling the people and also protecting their own interests. This was the birth of governments. States were then born through the formation of armies, courts, jails and laws. The need to protect private property as well as the emergency of class within societies also contributed to the establishment of the state. Nations, therefore, came before the state. Jews are an example that validates this viewpoint. They went through many catastrophes, were dispersed in many countries but maintained their culture and beliefs. In the end, after years of moving around, Israel was formed and this nation settled down.
Bibliography
Bluntschli, Johann Caspar, David G Ritchie, P. E Matheson, and Richard Lodge. The Theory Of State. 1st ed. Charleston: BiblioLife, LLC, 2009.
Gal, Allon. “Israel And The Family Of Nations: The Jewish Nation‐State And Human Rights”. Journal of Modern Jewish Studies 9, no. 1 (2010): 131-134.
Rejai, Mostafa, and Cynthia H. Enloe. “Nation-States And State-Nations”. International Studies Quarterly 13, no. 2 (1969): 140.
