What is a catch-all phrase for a pre-nationalism political entity?
There were many different kinds political entity, kingdoms, duchies, principalities, clans, tribes, tribal confederations, baronies, city states, warlords, religious orders, bishoprics, fiefdoms, merchant republics, caliphates, beyliks, empires, emirates etcetera.... There were also many political entities within political entities that were all but independent. How would you refer to all of these?
Technically they are states, but this implies a modern bureaucracy (unless you're talking about the papal states). "Political entity" sounds too verbose and pseudointellectual. You could call them "powers", but most people aren't familiar with this. They aren't nations because nationalism wasn't around yet. Just calling them "groups" is a bit broad.
Land
>>2125055
land is too broad, doesn't cover the multiple smaller entities that might inhabit a single land
>>2125044
Polity.
>>2125044
HOLY
>>2125044
Polity is used.
State is probably okay for things in Europe existing after 1648. Though you'll find that at the time a lot of people (at least Hobbes, but probably more) liked to use the term "commonwealth"