Gift-Exchange in Diplomatic Practices during the Early Mongol Period

Gift-exchange is the main element of a long-established tradition in Inner Asian diplomatic practice, representing a kind of political discourse. The Mongol Empire, after its rise in the early 13th century, changed the tradition of diplomatic ideology and practice, and established new principles subsequently. This article, according to multi-lingual sources, summarizes the formal and political aspects of gift-exchange during the pre-Mongol period and, furthermore, discusses the innovation and continuity of gift-exchange in the diplomatic practice of the earlier Mongol Empire.