This is a list of states that paid tribute to the Imperial dynasties of China under the tributary system. It encompassed states in Central Asia, East Asia, North Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe.Gundry, R. S. "China and her Tributaries,"
List of tributaries From the 5th century onwards, a status hierarchy was an explicit element of the tributary system in which Korea and Vietnam were ranked higher than others, including Japan, the Ryukyus, Siam and others.Kang, David C. (2010). All diplomatic and trade missions were construed in the context of a tributary relationship with China,Wang, Zhenping. (2005). ; excerpt, criticizing "the western tributary theory, which sees the world only from the viewpoint of the Chinese and overly simplifies the intricate domestic and international situations ...." including:
Afghanistan Kabul Bhutan Brunei (文萊) Borneo Poni (渤泥)Kerr, George. (2000). Burma (Myanmar)(Original from the University of California)(Colonial period Korea; WWC-5)(Original from the University of California) Konbaung CambodiaShambaugh, David L. et al. (2008). citing the 1818 Collected Statutes of the Qing Dynasty (DaQing hui-tien) Kingdom of Funan Zhenla Central Asia Kokand Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Champa (also Chiêm Thành/占城, Lin-yi/ 林邑) Indonesia Palembang (舊港) Majapahit (滿者伯夷) Srivijaya (三佛齊，室利佛逝) JapanYoda, ; excerpt, "... King Na was awarded the seal of the Monarch of the Kingdom of Wa during the Chinese Han dynasty, and Queen Himiko, who had sent a tribute mission to the Wei Dynasty (third century) was followed by the five kings of Wa who also offered tribute to the Wei. This evidence points to the fact that at this period Japan was inside the Chinese tribute system ...."Book of Sui, vol. 81Delmer M. Brown, John Whitney Hall. Chisholm, Hugh. (1911). Yoda, Yoshiie et al. (1996) ; excerpt, "While other countries in East Asia were almost consistently emeshed within the Chinese tribute system, Japan found itself sometimes inside sometimes outside of the system ...." Wa (Japan) (16 tribute missions)According to the Book of Later Han vol. 85, :zh:s:Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File .Yoda, ; excerpt, "... Japanese missions to the Sui [Dynasty] (581–604) ... were recognized by the Chinese as bearers of imperial tribute ...."Imperial envoys made perilous passages on kentoshi-sen ships to Tang China "The cross-cultural exchanges began with 5 missions between 600 and 614, initially to Sui China (on kenzuishi-sen), and at least 18 or 19 missions were sent to T'ang China from 630 to 894 although not all of them were designated kentoshi." Asuka Japan (5 tribute missions)Book of Sui, vol. 81Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Kentoshi" in ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Loui Nara/Heian Japan (16 tribute missions)Fogel, Joshua A. (2009). Yoda, ; excerpt, "Japanese missions to the ... Tang Dynasties were recognized by the Chinese as bearers of imperial tribute; however, in the middle of the ninth century -- the early Heian Period -- Japan rescinded he sending of missions to the Tang Empire. Subsequently Japan conducted a flourishing trade with China and for the next five hundred years also imported much of Chinese culture, while nevertheless remaining outside the tribute system."Edwin O. Reischauer (1955). Ennin's travels in T'ang China: Chapter III - Kentoshi. Old book of Tang, vol. 199 Ashikaga shogunate (20 tribute missions)Fogel, ; Goodrich, Luther Carrington et al. (1976). ; note: the economic benefit of the Sinocentric tribute system was profitable trade. The tally trade (kangō bōeki or kanhe maoyi in Chinese) was a system devised and monitored by the Chinese -- see Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric et al. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia, p. 471.Frederick W. Mote, Denis Twitchett, John King Fairbank. KoreaKwak, Tae-Hwan et al. (2003). ; excerpt, "The tributary relations between China and Korea came to an end when China was defeated in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-1895." Goguryeo (173 tribute missions) Baekje (45 tribute missions) Silla (19 tribute missions)Seth, Michael J. (2006). ; excerpt, "China found instead that its policy of using trade and cultural exchanges and offering legitimacy and prestige to the Silla monarchy was effective in keeping Silla safely in the tributary system. Indeed, the relationship that was worked out in the late seventh and early eighth centuries can be considered the beginning of the mature tributary relationship that would characterize Sino-Korean interchange most of the time until the late nineteenth century;"Korean History Project, . Unified Silla (63 tribute missions in 8th century) Goryeo (The envoy missions)Kwak, ; excerpt, "Korea's tributary relations with China began as early as the fifth century, were regularized during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), and became fully institutionalized during the Yi dynasty (1392–1910)." Joseon (826 tribute missions)391 envoy missions between 1392 and 1450435 special embassy missions between 1637 and 1881. Ladakh Laos (老挝) Lan Xang Malaysia Tanah Merah Kingdom Kedah Kingdom Kelantan Langkasuka (狼牙脩) Malacca (满剌加 / 馬六甲) 拜里米苏拉 Melayu (末罗瑜 / 末罗游) NepalGundry, Philippines Butuan (蒲端) Sanmalan (三麻蘭) Sulu RyukyusGundry, HokuzanKerr, George. (2000). ChūzanKerr, Nanzan Okinawa Siam (Thailand)Gundry, Ayutthaya Chiang Mai Sikkim (锡金) TibetGundry, Vietnam, KoreanHistoryProject.org. Retrieved on 30-01-2007.Gundry, Vạn Xuân (萬春, 野能)Taylor, Keith Weller. (1983). The Birth of Vietnam (illustrated, reprint ed.). University of California Press. . Retrieved 7 August 2013. Đại Việt (also Dai Co Viet, Dai Ngu, 大越, 大瞿越, 大虞) (Ngô Dynasty 吳朝, Đinh Dynasty 丁朝, Prior Lê Dynasty 前黎朝, Lý Dynasty 李朝, Trần Dynasty 陳朝, Hồ Dynasty 胡朝, Later Lê Dynasty 後黎朝, Mạc Dynasty 莫朝)
Taiwan(1661-1683).
By dynasty
Western Han Internal vassals (206 BC - ?) – Upon the founding of the dynasty, the first emperor awarded up to one-half of territory of Han as fiefdoms to various relatives, who ruled as princes. These fiefdoms collected their own taxes and established their own laws and were not directly administered by imperial government. Consolidation and centralization by succeeding emperors increased imperial controls, gradually dissolving the princedoms. During the period of Three kingdoms, Japan's king also sent tribute to Cao Rui stating about his status as a vassal to the Rui. Dayuan (102 BC) – Kingdom located in the Fergana Valley. Hearing tales of their high-quality horses, which would be of great utility in combatting the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu of Han dispatched an expedition to acquire their submission and the horses. The first expedition of 3,000 was woefully undermanned, but the second, numbering 100,000 besieged the capital, bringing them into submission after negotiations. The expedition returned with 10,000 horses along with a promise to pay an annual tribute in horses. Dian Kingdom (109 BC) – A kingdom located in modern-day Yunnan province. Brought into subjugation by Emperor Wu of Han, who annexed the kingdom into an imperial commandery but allowed local rulers to remain in power. Jushi (108 BC) – City-state in modern-day Turpan. Brought into submission by an imperial expedition dispatched by Emperor Wu of Han. Loulan (108 BC) – Located along the northeastern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in modern-day Xinjiang province. Brought into submission by an imperial expedition dispatched by Emperor Wu of Han. Minyue (138 BC - ?) – A Baiyue people situated in modern-day Fujian province. After an attack by the Minyue people, Emperor Wu of Han launched a massive expedition, and forced their entire population to relocate within imperial borders. Nanyue (211 BC - 111 BC) – A kingdom situated today's northern Vietnam, and the provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi founded by a former Chinese general, Zhao Tuo. Under Zhao Tuo it paid nominal tribute to Han but his successors lost more and more power. After a coup d'état against the king, Han directly conquered the kingdom and directly administered it from then on.page 63 of the book, "MAPPING HISTORY WORLD HISTORY, by Dr. Ian Barnes. Xiongnu (53 BC - 10) – A nomadic confederation/empire in Central Asia and modern day Mongolia and extending their control to territories as far as Siberia, western Manchuria, the areas along the Caspian Sea, and modern day Chinese provinces of Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Xinjiang. They entered tributary relations with the Han after several defeats, territorial losses, and internal conflicts. Tributary relationships terminated as a result of diplomatic fumblings during the reign of Wang Mang. Xinjiang passed to Chinese control after their defeat. Wusun (105 BC - ?) – Central Asian people. Bitter enemies with the Xiongnu, they entered a military alliance with the Han. In 53 BC, the kingdom split into two following a succession dispute. Both continued to recognize Han sovereignty and remained faithful vassals.
Xin During Wang Mang's reign, relations with many of the empire's allies and tributaries deteriorated, due in large part to Wang Mang's arrogance and inept diplomacy.
Eastern Han Khotan – King Guangde of Khotan submitted to the Han dynasty in 73 AD. In 129: Fangqian, the king of Khotan, sent an envoy to offer tribute to Han. The Emperor pardoned the crime of the king of Khotan, ordering him to hand back the kingdom of Keriya. Fangqian refused. Two years later Fangqian sent one of his sons to serve and offer tribute at the Chinese Imperial Palace. Southern Xiongnu (50 - 220) – The Xiongnu split into northern and southern factions. The southern Xiongnu brought themselves into tributary relations with the Han. They were resettled along with large numbers of Chinese immigrants in frontier regions. Economically dependent on Han, they were obliged to provide military services under a tightened tributary system with greater direct imperial supervision.
Jin, Northern and Southern, Tang In the 5th century the Wa (Japan during the Kofun period) sent five tributes to the Jin and to the Liu Song dynasty and the emperors promoted the five kings to the title like Supreme Military Commander of the Six States of Wa, Silla, Mimana, Gaya, Jinhan and Mahan.
According to the Xīn Táng shū the kingdom of Zhēnlà had conquered different principalities in Northwestern Cambodia after the end of the Yǒnghuī (永徽) era (i.e. after 31 January 656), which previously (in 638/39) paid tribute to China.Wolters, "North-western Cambodia in the seventh century", p. 356 and pp. 374–375
The Chinese retaliated against Cham which was raiding the Rinan coast around 430s-440s by seizing Qusu, and then plundering the capital of the Cham around Huế. Around 100,000 jin in gold was the amount of plunder. Lin Yi then paid 10,000 jin in gold, 100,000 jin in silver, and 300,000 jin in copper in 445 as tribute to China. The final tribute paid to China from Lin Yi was in 749, among the items were 100 strings of pearls, 30 jin gharuwood, baidi, and 20 elephants.
Enslaved people from tributary countries were sent to Tang China by various groups, the Cambodians sent albinos, the Uyghurs sent Turkic Karluks, the Japanese sent Ainu, and Göktürk (Tujue) and Tibetan girls were also sent to China. Prisoners captured from Liaodong, Korea, and Japan were sent as tribute to China from Balhae. Tang dynasty China received 11 Japanese girl dancers as tribute from Balhae in 777.Schafer 1963 , p. 66.
Song The Song dynasty received 302 tribute missions from other countries. Vietnamese missions consisted of 45 of them, another 56 were from Champa. More tribute was sent by Champa in order to curry favor from China against Vietnam. Champa brought as tribute Champa rice, a fast-growing rice strain, to China, which massively increased Chinese yields of rice.Lynda Noreen Shaffer, A Concrete Panoply of Intercultural Exchange: Asia in World History (1997) in Asia in Western and World History, edited by Ainslie T. Embree and Carol Gluck (Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe), p. 839-840.