Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c5.s1.7

v1.c5.s1.7

In short, during the 2^nd and 1^st century BCE, many goods were introduced into China from India, mainly directly as trade and also to a lesser extent as "tribute". In fact, the so-called “tribute” was also a kind of trade practice which has been called “tribute trade”. Under this system, merchants from countries surrounding China presented themselves as envoys and gave gifts to the Chinese emperors, and in turn the Chinese emperors granted rewards to them. This satisfied the desire for prestige on the part of the emperors, while at the same time it allowed the merchants to be received with great courtesy and to realise much profit.