The tributary system was the form for conducting diplomatic and trade relations with China before the fall of the Ch'ing dynasty in 1911. The system involved exchanges of gifts between foreign rulers and the
Was the tributary system successful?
For the most part, however, the anticipated boom in trade (and conversions to Christianity) did not occur. Recently, scholars have argued that despite being dismantled in the nineteenth century, the tribute system had a lasting impact on the structure of East Asian trade, including modern industrialization.
How was the tribute system worked?
What was the benefit to the non-Chinese? ... The tribute system was supposed to put China at the head of making trades, but they were often on equal terms with who they were trading with, especially the large nomadic tribes.
