the northeast 199- Later, the Hsi were dominated by the Uighurs, which led to the
wholesale killing of Uighur tax collectors in the 9th month (Oct./Nov.)
of 842 (Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.7967). In short, the Chinese held no sway
over the Hsi. Their value to the Chinese was the buffer they formed
against Po-hai, the Khitan, Turks, and Uighurs.
It follows that the missions from the Hsi to China were never for
the purpose of paying “tribute”. In 713, they came to negotiate peace.
They frequently congratulated on the New Year’s Day^7 and at least
once on an imperial birthday. But the missions chiefly served the
purpose of trade. They normally consisted of several hundred men.
At the Chinese border, 35 men were selected to proceed to the court,
from which they were sent back with gold and silk (T’ang hui-yao 96:
5b).
According to Chiu T’ang shu 199B:8a, the Hsi sent envoys with
gifts to the T’ang State between 618 and 626. None is recorded.
According to Chiu T’ang shu 199B:9a, the Hsi sent missions without
interruption from 816, sometimes arriving two to three times a year.
The actual number of missions recorded from 816 to 840 is 10. The
statistics are therefore incomplete, only the most important missions
being recorded.
This is the distribution by 20-year periods of the 53 missions recorded
from the Hsi to Sui, T’ang, and Later T’ang:
587- 606: 1
607- 626: 1
627- 646: 5
647- 666: 0
667- 686: 0
687- 706: 0
707- 726: 8
727- 746: 3
747- 766: 3
767- 786: 9
787- 806: 3
807- 826: 7
827- 846: 5
847- 866: 0
(^7) The missions arriving in the 11th, 12th, and 1st months must be included among
the New Year congratulations.