History of the Tribute System: A Study on the Ancient Chinese Foreign Relations System

Author: Li Yunquan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Structurally, the tributary system, closely related to the feudal system of the pre-Qin period, exhibits a concentric diffusion pattern centered around the royal domain, encompassing multiple dimensions such as the relationship between the central authority and local regions, ethnic relations, and Sino-foreign relations. The tributary system referred to in this book specifically pertains to the Sino-foreign tributary system. Of course, like the concept of "Sino-foreign," there were no clear boundaries between ethnic relations and Sino-foreign relations, or between ethnic policies and foreign policies in history, and they often transformed with changing times. As a result, this book inevitably touches upon some content that, in today's context, falls under ethnic relations. Additionally, based on the perceived superiority of Chinese culture and the historical backdrop of racial and cultural conflicts, the ancient terms such as "Yi, Di, Man, Rong" used in historical documents carry inherent derogatory connotations. However, this book adopts such designations to authentically reproduce the general understanding of the ancients and for the convenience of writing. Structurally, the tributary system, closely related to the feudal system of the pre-Qin period, exhibits a concentric diffusion pattern centered around the royal domain, encompassing multiple dimensions such as the relationship between the central authority and local regions, ethnic relations, and Sino-foreign relations. The tributary system referred to in this book specifically pertains to the Sino-foreign tributary system. Of course, like the concept of "Sino-foreign," there were no clear boundaries between ethnic relations and Sino-foreign relations, or between ethnic policies and foreign policies in history, and they often transformed with changing times. As a result, this book inevitably touches upon some content that, in today's context, falls under ethnic relations. Additionally, based on the perceived superiority of Chinese culture and the historical backdrop of racial and cultural conflicts, the ancient terms such as "Yi, Di, Man, Rong" used in historical documents carry inherent derogatory connotations. However, this book adopts such designations to authentically reproduce the general understanding of the ancients and for the convenience of writing.