Tributary system of Imperial Daxia

The tributary system of Imperial Daxia was a structure built and maintained by successive Daxian dynasties to manage their international relations with various states on the periphery of the empire. As the Daxian state expanded throught the centuries it encountered states and peoples who it was deemed inauspicious to absorb because of their customs, their appearance or because they could serve as useful geographic buffers. Tributary nations were required to submit large amounts of tribute, the specific terms of what was required being inscribed in the Imperial Tallies. In addition to the substantial tribute, tributaries were also expected to heed Daxian dictums on their relations with other states and to provide auxiliary troops for the imperial armies when requested. Inclusion in the system was often involuntary, the result of catastrophic military defeat but sometimes states voluntarily acceded to it to gain the military protection and political support of Daxia. The system survived into the early 19th century until the Qian dynasty began to adopt new and more direct extractionist methods on its neighbors.