9 ‘THE CUINA REVIEW. THE TRIBUTARY NATIONS OF CHINA. Temay be of some interont at tho present smoment, while the dispute regarding Anam Il unoetled, to ascertain what. tho Chinese themselves have to tay ragerding their snoalled tibutrier—what they cone sider the relationship amounts to and what degree of contro they have coueived thom selves ab liberty to exert, oF have, asa rater of fact, exereined, France allege that as far as Annam fe concerned the Chineto claim of suzersnty iv of merely otiguaran interest, while China claims the active right of investiture, whiob, in its fallest asose, would mean the right to say who sball and who aball not be ing, By way of endeavouring to throw some light on the subject T have gone through the chapters ja the Ta Teiag’ Hei Tien, centted BE Coart Tribute, and tracted from thom such portions as serve to Ilwstzato the position taken up by the Chine Goverament, ‘The Hei Tien eon sists of two portions—oue containing the rules and regulations, whother eusomary ot created by nactment, aotally existing and fn foro atthe date of publication (1820), and theater ooataaing «historical synopia of transations regarding the partoular matter an noted down day by day by the court histriographer either in hin” own language or in that of the imperial dere ‘The laer are sometimes quoted verbatin and sometimes merdly given in condensed or suamaried form. I have, of ours, to means of testing the fulness oF acoursey Gf he records but I imine no public act out of the common routing tran Peking without being noted dowa. ‘The general impression left by a perasal of these chapter i that the Chinese Govera- ment viows the whole questi of tributaries with supreme indifference, ‘If they choose to bring their tribute and offer it at our fect we will aoept it, and will in retura, in virtue of our universal dominion, grant an order or patent constituting the eupplisnt king of the tersitory he professes to rale.” Tn no caso dose the relationship appear to from an aot of conquest nor internationsl compact oF eon- Tt is all humble submission on ‘one side end magnanimous condeseezsion on the otber. ‘This does not, of course, purport to be & complete account of the’ tributaries. It takes no notio of anything that happened before the proseat dynasty. Corea, Liu- chia, Annam and apparently Burmah had been tributaries of the Ming omperors and possibly of womo of the preceding dynasties, But no claim appears to have been made on that account by the in every oauo the inferior nation that makes the first move by praying for reoognition, ‘and in the case of those that had been tributaries before, the insignia granted by the Mings, such as the soul aud the docu- tment of investiture, had to bo delivered up before they could formally be recognized. ‘This was probably to make eure that they renounced their old allegiance in ease of a ronowal of the struggle for the throne. ‘Nor was any compulsion used in keeping‘THE TRIBUTARY NATIONS OF CHINA. 95 fy tributaries those that ed ono boon reengnied. Even in the ease of Corea and. Liuohiu, whose relations with China were far ore intimate than those of any other power, the kings do not appear to have invariably tought ingestitare, ‘There are entries whick, show that ove or two in the sevice had been content with the de facto posession until their desoondant got the matter put straight by obtaining for them a posthumous patent fof nobility, whigh enabled them to rank de jure with those that came before and after, This negloot on theie part does mot appour to havo oalled forth any reronstrance from China, whioh simply left them alone ‘whan they did not choose to come, Tt ia not easy to see what advantage tho tributaricn gained by the eoancction Doubtless there was a feeling of greater scourity and comfort in being under the ‘wing of their powerful neighbour, but ¢ did rot prevent internal revulutioas ‘or border ‘Two revolutions accursed in Anam, in both of which the reigning king, though formally invested by China, was deposed without an effort being mado by her on Dehalf of hor protigé. She sooms to has lwokod quietly on until the contending parties had fought it out and then weleomed ‘and granted favestiture to the conqueror ia jst the same spirit as sho had previously showa to the deposed king. So wars ap- pear to have taken place on more than one ‘ooasion betmeen Burmah end the kingdom known as Nan Chang, tortitory oooupied by the Laoa tribes; but there is no indication of China having exeroised or attempted to ‘exercise her authority ax common. suzerain ‘of the two to enforo the peace. ‘Tho inference is that tho relationship of orerain and vassal was, as far as legal phraseology may be applicable to such state of affairs, aelationship at will merely. Tt was begun at will, continued at will and ‘therefore it would follow was terminable at will. Neither side had pledged itself to do anything in regard to the other, and, oonse- quently, could not be rogarded as guilty uf ‘any breuch of contract in refusing to conform any longer to the traditional uaago. Two at least of the tributary states of Kienlung period have, as a matter of fact, broken off ‘without, a3 far aa is knowa, any protest from China, ‘Siam isone of these, Frequent men- tion is made in these records of her sending missions with tribute and spplyiag for wad reosiving formal investiture. The practic 1 presume, became intermittent and finally was dropyed altogether, and now, at least, Siam will woareely caro to be rankod among, China's tributaries. Another isthe Sultan ‘of Sala, That potentato was so devoted a servant of the emperor at one time that he sent a lod of earth as repretonting his wholo Iingrlom and begged to havo it inoorporated with the dominions of China, His auccesr ‘has now sold tho grater part of bis territory to the North Borneo Company for valuable consideration, ao that he may be considered struok off th rll of tributaries, This view is in aeoorlanoo with the attitude taken up by the Chinese Govern ‘ment somo yours ago in regard to Carea, ‘When the Amerioan Miniator addreased tho ‘Teang-li-yamée, urging the opening of Cores, the latter ropliod that that countey ‘was free to aot as she chose, both interaally and externally, and that Chinese Ministors thad not eon’ wont to interfere, This refusal was atoribod to on unwillingness to do anything that might entangle Ching ia foreign complications, bat in trath it ap- pears to be simply the traditional position ‘of China vivd-eis of all the tributarion ‘Sho sat supremo and received their homage, Dut farther did not conosra horsolf with their aifirs, ‘Thero wore minuto rules to govern their doings when they came within the Inner Kingdom, but all outside was left to thom to do a they pleased, In regard to Annam, thorofoo, it is pro= Doble thet if either she had been a non border state, or if Pranoo had been out of, ‘the question, sho would havo boen allowed to break off the relationship withoat demar Thad ehe wished to do so, But the foreigncy ‘THE CHINA REVIEW. treaties and the prosenco of forsign Hoste hheve raised questions whish 50 years ago ‘were unknown. With us suzorainty seems necessarily to imply some sort of control ‘over foreign relations. In Chins tll eoent- ly thero wro no forvign relations 1» apoake of, 80 the question of the control of tribata~ ries in their doaliogs with foreign powers never came to an inte, Henge the unpre= pared and dubious stato of mind in which ‘China finds herself, both in regard to Annie ‘and Liuchia, Neither on the side of the tuzerain ot vaseal is there aay clear percop- tion of what the right and responsibilities of the situation amount to, ‘Pho svsonda reganing the so-called taibu- tary missions from Europe are amusing, ra- ‘thor than instructive, We kuow that the Chinese Government was woat to consider us as tributacies, but Tam not aware that it has before boon pointed out that the fant was written down in such an explicit and ‘authoritative manner, ‘There was perhaps some excuse for considering the early Dutch ‘and Portaguoso Missions as tribute bearers, for tho envoys soem to have complied with tho regalations requiring tho humiliating oore- ‘mony of the Kotow, but the same excuse ceannot bo put forward for classing Lord ‘Macartnsy’s Eimbassy in tho same category, Yveeause the point was expressly raid and resisted. It isso far evidenoo ofthe general socurtoy of the records that Lord Macartney is not doworibed as having ““kotowed” as all the rest did, but as having * prosented ‘the letter on bis knows,” whioh was proba- bly in accordance with fact. ‘The recorder, however, ia guilty atleast of « eujyestio fast ‘thon in another plave ho gives it to bo un- derstood that the ordinary oourt ceremonial ‘was gone through by the envoys on tho Emperor's birthday, which would of oourse include the kotow. ‘The last edition of the Hwoi Tien was pub win the last year of Chia Ching’s reign, 1820, but itis not an antiquated book for all that, Rvorything it contains is standard ssuthorty oil, ‘There was some tal, L love, of revision, but during a minority and swith an embarrassed treasury such things have little chance of being attended to. Tt is probable that im ite presont form it will ‘continue tobe at it has hitherto been, the oficial and standard referenge book on all matters regarding the Guverament of China, tis porhaps worthy of notice thet Ruse ‘sin doesnot figure among tho list of teibu- ‘aria, although she ad several timaes sent missions to Poking during the petiod ia question, [am anable to say why she should not be included. Nepal ao, which, now sends tribute regularly, is aot mentioned, Dat possibly she had been admitted aul ‘quently to the date of publication The tributary sautions of China exe a followe:— “[Oorea) Chao-heien, os it was former ly callod, Ko di, It wae frat oonstitated a Kingdom in the reiga of the Ming Emperor Hung Wa [1363-1598] by Li Cheng-kwe ‘who established himself as King and changed ‘the name to Chaochsion, Ta the seooud year of Teung Teh (1637) the King Li Teung submitted himself as dependent of China, fand a potont was then for the first time foe sued eufeoting him as King of Cores (thon fallow the boundaries &,), “Liuchia, The mame of this eonotry: ‘was criginally Chung Shan, It was indoed formerly divided into 3 indepondencies, cll- (od the North Inland, the Middle Island and the South Island, etsh under its own king, ‘The Middlo Island roduoed tho other two, and so gaveitenameto the whole, viz. Chuog ‘Shan, Tn the 11th year of Shun Chih [1654], ‘tho hereditary Prince, named Shang Chih, Aolivored up the patent and seal whioh had ‘een iasuod by tho Ming Bmporors and re- cxiyed in return an Imperial patant, enfeo- fing him as king of Chong Shan, Tho ‘ovuatry lies East of Fokien, &o,, 0, Yaeh-nan, ‘The nameof this eountry was originally Chiao Chik, Tt was afterwards ‘known as Annan snd is now ealled Yueh- nnan, In the 6th year of Kiang Hai [1666] the heroditury Prince of Annan, Li Wei-‘THE TRIBUTARY NATIONS OF CHINA. % fa, delivered up the patent and seal ‘hich had boon granted by the Ming Ba porors and a patent was thereupon isted for the fist time constituting him King of Annan. Ia the 64th yoar of Kien Luo 1780} the Li family lost the Kingdom, and ‘Yuan Kang-ping, who had been brought to the front a» Chit of the Kingdom, eubmit- ted the oouatry to China and a patent was ued inveting him ag king, Tn the Th year of Chia. Ching [1802] Yuan Kwang ‘san lost the kingdom in tro, and th of the Nang-nai eouotry, by name Yuan F ying, seat an envoy to presat a letter and ‘carry teat to the Court of China. Te ‘so captured and handed over cerain pie ratea who had ravaged the coast of Fuklen and Kwangtang, and he delivced up the ld patent and seal of the Kings of Annan, His servioes and submission wore aoknow- lodged by the Emperor, who, by dssro, order- tho name ofthe country to be changed to Yueh-an and isrued a patent invetiog tim as King, (The Boundaries & ‘Nanchang. ‘The old name ofthis coun- tay was Lao-wo. Some of the Lane Tvibes presumably, asi in described ating south of Yunoaa and adjoining Burmab, Ite establishment as a teibutary datos fom Kien Lung, 6th year. Tt was made in the ‘ual way by submission of the king, “(Siam Sien-lo, ‘his wan rigiaaly two ations, Losba and Sin, bat Locha having reduced the olher they became united as ue kingdom under the name Sicn-lo. Ta the reign of Shan Chih they fist sent an ‘envoy sequestiog tobe allowed to be enroll el a tributary, but it was not til ehe 124 of Kang Hs, 1073, that a patent was issued fanveatng tho ruler (who bears © monstrous 4 ing, Ta the Stet 1765, the country tadks of Burma and the Aynasty changed to that of « family named Ching if. Ta 1796 the edict ff FS of ‘hat name cent a minion of tribute aud ob- tained investiture aa King {J E. Ttice to the south of Burma, beyond the great southern sen, Aon “Sala fe i To th 4th year of Yong Cheng, 1788, ths country sent tribute and ‘he fllowing year th chief was contitated ing ty the insu of letters patent, This county lies n the suth-eeatern wee, “atid $f fl al et be nation of the roL-hatred barbarians, They fire eat an ofloer with tibute in 1054. Ta 1004 they assisted. the Tmperal troops in reducing Amoy and Kin-nea, and the Eat peror onfered upon them an order of com Ieodatio. Their eoaitey ie situated in ‘the middle of the eouth-wester act. They atverwards cocuped Ko-tu-pe. (Batavia), where the poople etied fn great numbers, but the sat of government continued to be in Holand, “tention $f fH] (Barwsh), als ated Bil FG, (Avs, 10.1750 the ing of the cour ent an embasty with a letter and tribute, and in 1790 the Imperial patent vwasissued constituting of (FA king. Tin county lies beyond the feirinn and other pats of Teog-Fueh-show in Yannan, “The natious of the Western Osean vi. Poverh-ta-hiscliya (Portagel). In. 1670 ‘the king of this country, named A-féng-au (Alfonso), sont & mission with a letter and tribute, “Ltalicya(Ttaly), The king ofthis coun fey, named Fo-natisto (Pope Besedist XIU. jn probably meant), Hirt santa mieion with teibate in 1725. “"Pocer-tickoveth (this appears to be only another way of spelling Portugal). The king ofthis country, named Jo-wang (Joan Vi. fiat sent a mii with tibate in ria. “ Ying-chi-li QBagland) sent mlosion vith taibute in 1799 (Lord Macaiaey’s Embasoy of that date ie referred to). In each caso the Imperial letters patent were fisued and git were conferred on the ings of the respeotie countries.” All to it is only by 12 cxrnon Effort a98 THE CHINA REVIEW. thee nations io inthe south-westera ‘Then fllows a list of nations not being taibutarien, who come to trade with Chine on mutual terms, with « genera assount of the dzeotion in which they lie and the Aistance from Chins. ‘They are: “Japan, otherwie called (ff JF Woz “Wiang kon, jE) 7,200 rom Can- fon. Coming fom there ove passes the BY Seven Islands, $) AS Lt Tuogpuchai, YL AB IR, otberwise called Kacchencla, Cambouisr” The routes the same os to Kiang Kou, Tint Pes xs “Tho three nations of and fy Gf on the Malayan Peninsula, Faucfu FR Af, Johore. + Yactait gt JOR fil], Acheon in Suma. tre. “Lu-sung Kwo, the Philippines, Thi was conquered in’ the timo of the Ming Aynasty by the Folan-ki (Franks) but the ‘name remaived unchanged. Trade was in- terdistod by Kang Hsi but resumed again ‘under Yung Chéog. “Ro-la-pa, Batavia, originally Kwa-wa, ‘was conquered by the Dutah, but retained ite name, “Ynssst-la? lose to Ragland “Falan-al (France) is also called Fo- Jng-si and is the same as the Fo-lang-ki of ‘This country is situated psd Ont. tot tn itis always ‘spon tha Kile eae nei aaa ht fev withthe ton SG) EE so wet tern dutt ot Ibeoing. Bat shen eed elon tert nothing {ogden ast the pros tenor of the dou ‘eet appears however, ply ore fa “Exo RB wiih ae snp exyenione of te Tpperial il T ceil sonvey the Hen of, ‘the Emperor, the one Suaveain oa eth in Chie ‘ee ue cular ome rank o igaly on 6 Fea et ni oP Wes appiog «got of thera of King to the Ful of Ce Several sonata estou 1 commonly the gran of patent of nobility. the Ming dynasty. It is situated in tho south-wostorn seu. ‘They reduced the Phi lippines and came to live there in great rpunbers but the eat of government re- rained in France, Sinoo the Ming dyaasty ‘this nation has had a settlement at Masao fin Hiang-shan, It has remained «0 under the present dynasty. They pay en sanual {ground vent to Chine but they ary not per- ‘mitted to enter the interior. "The country is distant 0,000 and odd li.” Under heading “Tribute to be sent at fixed times” we read “Corea sends four tributes annually. ‘Thoy may, howover, be seat together at the fend of the year. Lin-chia sends onge every year, ‘but nod only send a mission to Court once in every four yours. Siam sends onoo every three years; Sula once every five, Holland formerly sent oneo in fio years but now ‘there is no fixed time, ‘The nations of the ‘west have no fixed periods,” ‘We are then told the route that the tribute-bearing missions are bound to follaw tnd the numbers of which the mission may De composed. As a rule the numbers should not exoeed 100. There should. bo one chief and one assistant envoy, attended by eight or ten offleers of lower grade aud interpreters. Only 20 oF so ean be allowed to come on to the capital. The others must wait at the coast port. “Holland should send either a obief and fan assistant envoy, or elao a special com missioner, ottended by one ‘barbarian eye: ofller and one steretary. ‘The attendants nd followors must not exoced 100 and only 26 ray come to the capital, ‘The nations of ‘the west, when seading tribute must not ‘send more than three ships, and no sbip must hhave more than 100 mea on board. The chief and assistant envoys eanuot tak more than 26 followers with them to Peking, ‘Tho others will wait at the wea-board, where tome bounty will be oonferred on them.” Next follows a detailed list of the artiles of tridute due from each state, ‘Annen sends once ia every two years,‘THE TRIBUTARY NATIONS OF CHINA, “9 ‘The Corean Tribute comnts of 200 ieoes of grse cloth, 200 pions of lain white ili 100 pices of ne sil, 100 pees Gf Blu do, 3,000 ieee of plain cotton flat, 20 pices figured sleeping mate, 100 deer sae 300 oer skin, 10 sword, $000 roll af papers, and 40 pice ric.” (special ocasons, ssh athe Emperor? birthday, New Your's day, or when returning thanks for some favour recived, exita t= Date has to be sent, costing of smaller quenttcs of the same or similar article, fg. 19 0 20 pices of sll, 20 otter skin, fy be. “The Linohaan Tribute consists of 128 Pieuls of sulphur, 80 pieuls of copper, 10 hoals of white ia,” There is ap Sed fmoant, for special octaios. | Woon tcion of tho royal family in admitted to tay atthe, Imperial Academy at Pekiog there i payeble om his entrance 3,000 sets of aereen paper” and 60 pie of “plane ‘in lth” and on his leaving 5,000 sheets of “soren paper” and 100 peses of anna "The tribute from Yue-nan (Ann4a) const of 2 pai cepnt tska, 4 rhinos horas 200 pices of nate wks 300 dow ail Isto. 200 do. plain lt 600 on of garu woods 1,200 om of mbshiang (sandal wood). eaten of grains of Paraine, 0 do. beel out, ‘With oortain special extra om sptial ‘The. Sianve Tribute oootainn the fol- loniog ~The quantities ate unapecited ‘ame elephant. ‘rained elaphant, hinges! horas ephants’ take Ccerdatnons Laka wood Teraban aed, ania goon aad sandal wod, ‘Ebony and japan wood. Cuteh gamboge, Salphar. Camphor and camphor oil, King-shers skins, Pengock’s feathers, &e., &o, ‘The Dutch Tribute, quantitive unspecified, is given as follow, Ming horses, Coral beads, (Cloves, Sandal wood Camphor baroos. Powling-picees. Flints, ‘Woallen cloth, Long ells Carpets, gold thread, Cooks. ‘The tribute to be sent by Barmah and by the western nations generally is not fixed. ‘The letter from the Burmete King must be written on gold lef, enclosed in en ivory tube, “We find next an account of the ceremonies that the envoys have to go through at the capital, their entertainment there and the ‘resents thet ought to be given them on leaving, but these points are to be found in ‘© more interesting form in the historical portion of the book, from which we proceed to translate, catarren 302, 1»vesrirens, conn. “The following ate the ceremonies to be observed on the occasion of investing & CCorcan prince as king. A chiet and assat- ‘ant envoy having been deputed from the court of China, the Corean King will des- pitch ministers to await thoir arrival out ‘side the border. ‘The Coreen ministers wil, with all reepect, greet the casket containing ‘the Imperial letters patent by kneeling and ‘kotowing nine times. They will also greet ‘tho Chinese envoys by knecling and kotow- ing throo times, On arrival at the Corean