Ming Yongle Years, Relations With Central Asia Through Tribute

Based on a lot of documents and achievements of precedents,the thesis will discuss the Tonggong relations ("Tonggong" in Chinese means that the messions of ancient ethnic groups in remote areas visited the central government in china with tributes, meanwhile, the central government replied them with presents.) between the Ming government and the regimes in the western regions, It will try to show the complete panorama of the Tonggong relations during the Yong Le period in the Ming dynasty. The article is divided four parts ,according to the need with a clear learning. The first part is about discussion of the Ming government administrating the western regions in the earlier Ming Dynasty (the period from Hong Wu to Yong Le).It's main purposes were that: firstly, establishing the organizations of defence prevented the former Mongol-Yuan from ailing with the western regimes; secondly, openning the trade road from the central plains to the western regions, strengthenning the Ming government's power and the communication of politics, commerce and culture each other. The main methods, which the Ming government took, were to build seven political and military organizations in the western regions to Jia Yu Guan, and establish friendly relations by dispatching envoys to visit the western regions. Analyzing and discussing the administration of the Ming government is very important.The second part focus on the missions sent by the regimes in the western regions paying tribute to the Ming government during the period of Yong Le. The part is important. We conclude various tributary traits, types and kinds from different regimes by analyzing their tributary detailed cases, and discuss the Ming government's purposes of Tonggong which was not only because of politics, but also because of fine horses.The third part will discuss the tributary system during the period of Yong Le. The tributary system was formed and perfected steadily by Tonggong each other, and restricted the Tonggong very well. The tributary system during the period of Yong Le is discussed according to a lot of materials, which include some general rules; rewards and gifts from the Ming government; and the organizations related to the tributary affairs.The fourth part will discuss the official missions sent by the Ming government to the western regimes, which explain the characteristics of the missions and relations between the Ming government and the regimes in the western regions. Because Chen Cheng and Zheng He were special examples of envoys of the Silk Road's and maritime-Silk road's trades respectively, so the auther tries to do the comparative study and discusses the meaning and influnce from Chen Cheng's mession, to give readers a comprehensive presentation.In a word, the establishment of the Tonggong relations between the Ming government and the western regimes was not only the continuation and development of the western regions' policies which had been adopted by the Tai Zu emperor, but also had positive and important influences on several emperors after the Tai Zong emperor, meanwhile, we can draw lessons and learn how to deal with the frontier region affairs.