Are there any Republics?

J

JoanDrake

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I've just watched all of Season 1 and 2 and I have one question. On all the continents of this whole world are there any large republics or democracies? You'd think that in what is stated at least once to be 3000 years longer than recorded human history at least ONE large population would figure they'd had enough of this constant Game and form a Netherlands, Italy, Greece etc.

So far the closest thing I've seen is Qarthos (sp?). Apparently a free city
 
There's the Free Cities which are modeled on the Italian Renaissance republics--Braavos for example, which is where Arya's 'dancing instructor' is from. And Pentos, where Khal Drogo and Dany get married is another of these Free Cities.

Further south, where she ends up there are other cities that are more or less republics.
 
There's a few variations on hereditary monarchy:

The Iron Islands are a democratic monarchy
Braavos likewise has something akin to a democratic monarchy, although it's more like an anarchic monarchy...
Pentos is ruled by forty merchant families and headed by a puppet leader elected by the heads of those families
Norvos appears to be ruled by a religious authority
Volantis is ruled by three Triarchs who serve a term of one year and are elected by landowners - this is the closest thus far in the series to a true democracy
Qarth has a bit of a complex government, with authority contested between hereditary families and three merchant guilds
Astapor, Meereen and Yunkai are ruled by the most powerful slaver families in each city

There are also a number of societies whose exact form of government hasn't been disclosed, and other regions of the world such as Yi Ti and the Summer Isles of which virtually nothing is known.
 
Joan, the Valyrian colonies, i.e. the Free Cities are mostly oligarchies as Beta and Gumboot have pointed out. The closest thing you'll find to a republic is either the free city of Volantis or mysterious Qarth. Both are really ruled by the nobles... and there is no real representation of the masses.

The closest thing you'll find to a democratic process is among the mountain clans surrounding the Vale of Arryn or among the Wildlings north of the Wall. In both cases, these people are very clannish. They don't see themselves as nations.

I would not read much into this... I don't think the author is stating that monarchies are preferrable. I think this is his vision of a pre-industrial fantasy world... so he draws upon ancient and medieval societal structures.
 
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