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Money or more often goods delivered by a vassal state to a suzerain, usually at prescribed intervals. Both the Chinese and Ottoman Empires were well known for exacting tribute from the smaller states and tribes along their frontiers. Not a feature of a diplomatic relationship, which assumes sovereign equality, tribute is less important to the suzerain for its economic value than for the mark of submission which it represents. Since, however, envoys from non-tributary states who journeyed to such imperial courts to establish diplomatic relations (sense 1) with them invariably carried gifts of their own, this naturally led to misunderstanding, especially in China. According to Chinese ceremonial, objects offered to the Emperor were tribute by definition; ‘gifts’ were objects offered by the Emperor. Hence the boats provided by the Chinese for Lord Macartney\'s ill-fated journey from the coast to Tientsin in 1793 carried banners bearing the legend: ‘Envoy paying tribute to the Great Emperor’. This was just the beginning of Macartney\'s problems. See also audience; kowtow. |
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