The Collapse Of The East Asian International Order Process In The Middle Ages For Relations With States

This dissertation focuses on the relationship between medieval China and its neighboring countries from the perspective of East Asia. The text was divided into four chapters and each of the following issues was explored in one chapter: the Liao Dong Gongsun (辽东公孙)Regime during the Late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, the Dongyi XiaoWei (东夷校尉)in the Wei, Jin and Former Yan Dynasties, the relationship between Northern Wei and Korea, Liu Song and Wa(倭). Here are some basic views:1. The rise of Liao Dong Gongsuns was a major change of the East Asian political pattern during the Late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. This regime provided a stable haven to the Hans who fled from "central plains" of China. Under its rule, the political, economic and cultural levels of Liao dong society had made great progress. Along with the deepening of the contacts between the Hans and the neighboring East Asian nations, these results eventually benefited the entire East Asian world. However, as a divided separatist regime, Liao Dong Gongsun Regime did not have the strength to reconstruct the international order. Facing the complicated national competition and tremendous pressure for existence, Gongsun Regime more inclined to rely on trickery to pursue practical interests in dealing with the relationship between itself and the other Asian ethnic groups, which in some sense had accelerated the collapse of the existing East Asian international order.2. The authorities of Wei and Jin installed Dongyi XiaoWei in Northeast China border to command the surrounding nations. With the development of history, this official position which was designed to help the Hans to control Yi nationalities gradually changed into a position which on the contrary helped the Yi nationalities to control the Hans. Ultimately, it was granted by the leader of one Yi nationality to the other. With the change of this official position full of obvious superiority of Chinese culture, not only are we able to see the changes in the political situation in the northeast region, but also to see how Chinese culture being continuously distributed and the phenomenon of national integration in Northeast Asia.3. Northern Wei and Korea lacked a stable basis to establish a lasting diplomatic relationship. As a part of the diplomatic rivalry and conspiracy trial in East Asian world, the diplomatic relationship between Northern Wei and Korea was full of variables even in the most stable period.4. At the initial stage of diplomatic intercourse between Liu Song and Wa, both of them need to adapt to each other. 438 AD and 472 AD were two watersheds which affected the development of political situation in East Asia. With the development of the situation, Liu Song and Wa continued to adjust their foreign policies. As the situation became clearer, the Wa regime was aware of that the Southern Dynasties regime would not meet its political will. Thus, it stopped the request to be conferred titles of nobility. Although the formal contacts between the two regimes stalled, the Wa regime had more intuitive feelings about the culture and administration system of the Southern Dynasties of China. Such influence can not be ignored both to the future development of Wa and to the formation of a new world order in East Asia.