The embryonic form of tribute system is a hierarchical network political order system with China's Central Plains Empire as the main core, which existed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and Central Asia from the 3rd century BC to the end of19th century. It is usually called the treaty system and the colonial system, and it is one of the main modes of international relations in the world.

1368, when the Ming dynasty was founded, 137 1 year, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, clearly designated Annan, Zhancheng, Korea, Siam, Ryukyu, Sumatra, Java, Kanheng, Baihua, Sanfuqi and Bohai as "countries without expropriation".

He also determined the principle of "thick to thin" tribute. As a result, the tributary system was finally established and became the prevailing international relations system in the eastern world. In this system, China's Central Plains regime became the center of monism, and the tributary countries recognized this central position and constituted the external vassal of the central regime.

Second, the reasons for the disintegration of the tribute system?

1, external cause?

The decline and disintegration of the tributary system began with the expansion of the global system in the era of western capitalism. Although there are inevitable inherent defects in the tributary system, the global expansion of western colonialism has accelerated the disintegration of the tributary system.

The disintegration of the tribute system is also a long process. Tribute system is "the international order with the longest history, the highest level and the strongest internal vitality", and the national strength of Ming and Qing Dynasties is also very strong. Even in 1900, the GDP of the Qing government was still higher than that of Japan and Britain at that time (according to the proportion of GDP in the world, 1900, the proportion of China was 65,438). )。

2. Internal factors?

The fragile natural economic foundation is the fundamental reason for the collapse of the tributary system? The splendid ancient civilization of China is an agricultural civilization based on farming, and the economic foundation of the tribute system is a self-sufficient small-scale peasant economy based on this agricultural civilization, which is close to the natural economy and has low productivity.

The superstructure built on this economic basis is bound to be restricted, and the tributary system can be said to be a more advanced superstructure and the highest peak of agricultural civilization development.

The fragile and inefficient economic foundation of the tributary system could not maintain the normal relationship between ancient China and tributary countries for a long time, which made the tributary system a loose relationship between countries. The development degree of tributary system is closely related to the economic strength and comprehensive strength of the Chinese empire.