The Hanseatic League was a collection of city states and a naval power which wasn't too unusual and tended to be a regional norm - look at all of the Italian ci

The Hanseatic League was a collection of city states and a naval power which wasn't too unusual and tended to be a regional norm - look at all of the Italian city states like Venice, Florence, and Milan. They could be called a northern counterpart to the Italian city states. By definition they weren't conquered by kings.