A Study Of Vietnamese Entering Into China To Seek Shelter In Early Qing Dynasty

With the prosperous economies, significant political powers and highly-developed civilizations, China was admired by its neighboring countries. Quite a few China's neighbors were attracted to associate with China, to learn from China and to initiatively establish suzerain-vassal relations with China in order to pursuit the shelter from China. China and Vietnam are neighbors and the suzerain-vassal relations between them had sustained for approximately 1000 years. Since the Qing dynasty began its regime in China, the dominance hierarchies of Vietnam actively set up suzerain-vassal relations with the government of the Qing dynasty. Besides the political and economical benefits and advanced cultures, there was another more important concern, which was to get the legitimate and legal status and to maintain the safety and stability of the Vietnam. For China, the suzerain-vassal relations between China and Vietnam catered for the psychological needs of the Qing Feudal Rulers who entitled Qing dynasty as"the Centric State", and Vietnam could serve as a barrier to consolidate the frontier defense of China.During this period of time, several regimes co-existed in Vietnam. Wars for ruling rights were very common and the ruling regime often changed. The establishment of the suzerain-vassal relations between Qing dynasty and Vietnam walked though zigzag route. From the very beginning, Qing dynasty set up unitary relation with Annanli regime and then suzerain-vassal relations with Xishan regime and finally suzerain-vassal relations with Ruan regime.Frequent wars in Vietnam and thousands of miles of borderlines between China and Vietnam made it easy for the leaders of many kinds of anti-government armed forces or the separatist regimes who failed in the war to enter into China to seek shelter, because China is their suzerain country. For example, the Mo's and Li's and their imperial clan members had entered China twice for shelter. They were canonized by Qing dynasty. As the suzerain, Qing dynasty adopted cautious attitudes towards them. First, Qing dynasty properly settled them down. Then, Qing dynasty took different attitudes and measures according to the changed conditions of Vietnam. Besides, during Kangxi and Qianlong regime, some of the family dependents and followers of local separatist regimes like Wugongjun, Mafudian, Yichang, Huanggongzan-the leader of peasant uprising and the dependents of Tusi family had come to China to find shelter. Qing dynasty took different measures according to different conditions, sticking to the policy of maintaining the suzerain-vassal relations with Annan. For instance, Mafudian and Wujungong are convicts. If Qing dynasty gives them a shelter, it would undermine the bilateral relations. Therefore, in respond to the Li regime's requirement, Qing dynasty refused to give them shelters and sent Mafudian and Wujungong back.As suzerain country, for the sake of suzerain-vassal relations, Qing dynasty usually offered the Vietnam refugees of war help to fulfill the responsibility. Meanwhile, for its own interests, on condition that the frontier was safe and the Vietnam's condition was stable, Qing dynasty would avoid unnecessary military clashes and finance loss. However, when there were conflicts between the real interests and suzerain-vassal relations, some adjustment would be made. For China, the real interests would be superior to suzerain-vassal relations.