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Misl generally refers to the
sovereign states of the Sikh Confederacy that rose during the 18th century in the
Punjab region of the
Indian subcontinent. The
misls formed a commonwealth that was described by
Antoine Polier as an "aristocratic republic". Although the misls were unequal in strength, and each misl attempted to expand its territory and access to resources at the expense of others, they acted in unison in relation to other states. The misls held meetings of their legislature, the
Sarbat Khalsa in
Amritsar.