Ming Tributary System And The 16th Century Westerners Into China Strategy

The Great Discovery begun in sixteenth century drew Portuguese, tempted by wealth and religion, to East Asia and influenced the history and society of countries there since then. However, China Empire, the greatest power in these areas at that time accepted other countries in the frame of tribute system, the entire new diplomacy mode to Portuguese, reflecting the different international relations with Christian world. Facing such new diplomatic mode, the Portuguese had to try the new policies and tactics to adapt the heterogeneous culture. To break the maritime trade ban by force or adjust themselves to adapt Chinese culture, that was the austere question to Portuguese. They experimented and researched in historical intercourse, by the means of military conflicts, necessary trade and the Jesuits' mission, and obtained limited success finally. But in the viewpoint of China, Chinese still accepted the Portuguese in tribute system, and their relations mirrored the superior empire and vassal states between two countries. In the course of connecting to China, Portuguese had to accept China's tribute system for the heavy commercial profits in Far East.In the article, the western's tactics represented by Portuguese on entering China after 16th century will show by author in the view of global history, differenced from others' methods of thoughts. The paper will pick up the fruits from scholars abroad, not only in theory and methods and historical materials. And the paper tried innovate the relations between the origin of globalization and commerce on sea in 16th century, and resetted the new frames for it in Marxism's thesis about the development history of Capitalism. In short, based on the outstanding achievement home and abroad, the thesis, aiming at the relation between tribute system in Ming dynasty and western's tactics in entering China in 16th century, will do a historical research with a new view.