Tributary States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tributary States - Essay Example Politically, subordinate states enjoyed independent political sovereignty only after paying the tribute. Legally, tribute states exercised legal rights only within domestic boundaries, while the superior state could exercise legal rights across all its tribute states. One example of a tributary state was Babylon, which paid tribute to the Roman Empire. Another example is the Roman Empire itself, which later paid tribute or bribe money to the invading barbarians. Also, England became a tribute state when the invading Vikings demanded payment of material bribes from the English crown. Political revolutions are transformative processes that bring changes in the social, economic, and political atmospheres of a nation. In contemporary times, the French Revolution feature as a perfect example of the transformative nature of political revolutions. Prior to the revolution, the King of France had subjectively imposed divine powers. The French population was utter subjects to the King’s unquestionable rule, and any natural human rights were impractical. During and after the revolution, ideas of human rights became popular. The popularization of inalienable human rights gave rise to the concept of citizenship in France (Katter 29). Through the concept of citizenship, liberal institutions like the national assembly were established. In essence, the transformation from subject rule to citizenship initiated a corresponding transformation from aristocracy to democracy in France. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, a substantial portion of European’s population relied on agriculture. Most people were peasants who supplemented their food and financial income through small-scale farming. During the 18th Century, there was a rapid marriage between man and machines. Establishment of factory production systems demanded laborers.