Study On The Ming And Ch'ing Tributary System

The tributary system origined from the Pre-Ch'in period. It was not only the important way by which the politics, economy and culture were exchanged between China and other nations, but also the main media by which the Chinese civilization had been expanded. In the Ming and Ch'ing dynasties, the tribute system had been developed into its peak, and the East Asian "hua-yi" order (the Sino-barbarian order) in which China were centered, was formed. So how to understand the tributary system's historical trace , its inner structure , its mechanism and its features, etc., are of important theoretical and current significance to extend the research field of the Sino-foreign relations' history and also to reveal the ancient China's great role in the Asian history, even in the world history .The thesis used a vast amount of historical records and was based on various academic achievements. It mainly made a study of the following problems: l.the origin , development and features of the tributary system before the Ming dynasty; 2. the complexity of the tributary system and its role in the Sino-roreign relations in Ming dynasty and early Ch'ing period(before1840); 3. the tributary system's theoretical origin and rites(li) and investiture(yi) principles. And last, in macro-perspective, made a systematic and thorough analyses of all the Chinese dynasties' tributary systems' main traits and functions.