Why were there so many tributary countries in the Ming Dynasty? How powerful was the Ming Dynasty?

In the long history of more than 5,000 years in China, each dynasty has its own tributary country, and the number of each dynasty is different. Among them, the Qing Dynasty has the least tributary countries, only seven, and the Ming Dynasty has the most tributary countries, reaching 128. Then why were there so many tributary countries in the Ming Dynasty? The reason is that the economy of Ming Dynasty developed and prospered, and the comprehensive national strength reached an unprecedented height in all aspects.

The ruling thought of opening to the outside world in Ming Dynasty

The existence of tributary countries has both advantages and disadvantages for the country. On the bright side, it can strengthen the cultural exchange between ethnic groups, let the ideas of various places grow, and absorb those excellent ideas to improve themselves. The disadvantage is that these tributary countries only pay tribute, but they have to take away a lot of gold, silver and jewels from the Ming Dynasty. In the long run, the state treasury will be empty. During the Ming dynasty, many western countries paid tribute to the Ming dynasty, but in the Qing dynasty, these western countries stopped paying tribute. The main reason is that the Ming Dynasty did not form a truly unified country, but all regions lived in peace.

Perfection of customs policy

The Ming emperor was very open-minded in all aspects. In particular, the Customs sent Zheng He to the Western Seas to spread the excellent culture and special materials of the Ming Dynasty and strengthen international exchanges, so many overseas countries could pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty. The emperors of the Ming Dynasty also welcomed these foreigners to study in China, and even foreigners were officials at that time. It can be said that it provides a favorable foundation for cultural exchanges between the East and the West. In the attitude towards the vassal king, the Ming emperor also adhered to the principle of learning from each other's strengths, so there were many tributary countries in the Ming Dynasty.

Change with the development of the times

As can be seen from the above points, many tributary countries in the Ming Dynasty were due to the policies adjusted by the authorities with the changes in the world structure. Just as the Qing dynasty closed its doors to the outside world and immersed itself in its own culture, it eventually led to the demise of the Qing dynasty. Therefore, the authorities in the Ming Dynasty were very powerful. He could adapt to the development of the times and create an unprecedented prosperity.