What effect did the tribute body have on the ancient silk road

The so-called tribute trade was a form of trade in which gifts were exchanged between two countries through official envoys traveling back and forth.

In ancient China, every round trip of official envoys was accompanied by a "trade" of gifts. For example, Cao Wei Ming Emperor, the Japanese Queen sent envoys to send livestock ten people, Banbu two pi three zhang, the Ming Emperor gave back five brocade, ten blankets, silk fabrics of various colors of hundreds of pi, in order to "answer the dedication of the tribute value". Liu Song era, India Shudo dynasty Chandragupta Shudo II special letter to Emperor Wen of Song, put forward "if there is a need, rare and exotic things, all will be sent to ...... wish the two countries messenger traffic ceaselessly", its intention is to Liu Song also treated the same, in order to achieve the purpose of the transaction.

In the two Han period, Chinese and foreign businessmen playing tribute, the banner of the envoy, international trade is not lacking. Such as Zhang Qian, after the West sent the envoys of more poor people and "delusional people", they just want to "private county officials with a gift, want to be cheap city to private its benefits to foreign countries". In this way, the merchants who traveled in the name of envoys by virtue of the government capital were "hundreds of people in one generation, and more than a hundred in a lesser one"; and in a year, "the envoys made more than a dozen (generations)." It is no wonder that Dawan for these people "not out of money and silk can not eat, not the market animal can not ride with.

There was also a lot of impostor merchants among the foreign envoys.

Bin "dedication of all line Jia bitch, want to buy goods market, in the name of dedication". In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the envoys of the king of the Roman Dun to Luoyang, later agreed to be the Qin merchants pseudo-trust. This form of trade has continued until the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The tribute trade, which gradually took shape during the Two Han Dynasty, advanced China's overseas trade with Southeast Asian countries and European regions.

(1) Relationship with North Korea: The three Koreas in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula had sent people to Han many times; Tatsuhan, one of the three Koreas, introduced Chinese culture, and its language and title were similar to that of the Qin, which was called "Qin Han"; China maintained frequent trade exchanges with the North.

(2) Interaction with Japan: During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, more than 30 countries in Japan passed through the Korean Peninsula to "make translation to Han"; during the reign of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, a golden seal was given to the emissaries of the Wonu Kingdom; and Chinese iron, copper, silk and silk were spread to Japan.

(3) Interaction with Vietnam: Vietnam's ivory, rhinoceros, pearls, etc. continue to be exported to China; China's iron plow and oxen ploughing technology, water conservancy engineering technology was also promoted in Vietnam.

(4) the opening of the Silk Road: after Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions, the Han Dynasty's emissaries and merchants traveled westward one after another, and a large number of silk and embroidery were transported westward along the corridor; and rare and exotic goods from Western countries were also imported into China one after another. This communication between the Chinese and Western transportation on land, is known to future generations of the Silk Road. Silk Road communication between China and Central Asia, West Asia, South Asia countries of economic and cultural exchanges. China's iron, silk and sericulture and reeling technology, as well as iron casting, wells and canals, papermaking successively west; Buddhism also through the Silk Road to China. After the Han Emperor Wu, also opened up with the South China Sea countries and the Indian Peninsula and other places on the water transportation line, engaged in regular trade transactions, which is the modern said the Maritime Silk Road. The opening of the Maritime Silk Road, strengthened the relationship between China and Southeast Asia, South Asia countries, from the waterway communication between the East and West diplomatic circle.

(5) with West Asia and Europe: Anshi used the land Silk Road and the Han Dynasty frequent exchanges, and through the Maritime Silk Road between the Han Dynasty and the Great Qin silk resale trade; 97 years, Ban Chao sent his deputy envoys Gan Ying mission to the Great Qin; 166 years of the Great Qin Andun dynasty sent envoys to the East Han Dynasty, the ivory, rhinoceros horns, and other gifts to the Emperor of the East Han Dynasty.