Sovereignty in classical legal doctrines

Sovereigne quality of states is afundamental principle of international law. In order to understand the concept of sovereignty in contemporary international law, there is a need for a historical comparison shedding the light on how the sovereignty concept has been interpreted in different periods of time. The present study shows the historical development in understanding the nature, source, subject, and substance of sovereignty as revealed in the works of authors belonging to the Classical period of international law.