The Sikh Confederacy (Persian: مثل سیک) refers to the twelve Sikh sovereign states between 1621 to 1799. The states formed a commonwealth that was described by Antoine Polier as an "aristocratic republic". Although the sovereign states were unequal in strength, and each sovereign states attempted to expand its territory and resources at the expense of others, they acted in unison in relation to other states. The sovereign states held biannual meetings of their legislature, the Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar.