What is suzerainty?
Q: What is suzerainty?
A: Suzerainty is a situation in which a country X has its own government but cannot act independently because of the influence of a more powerful country Y.
Q: How does suzerainty differ from sovereignty?
A: Sovereignty means that a country has full control over its own affairs, while suzerainty means that the tributary still has limited control of its own stuff and internal country affairs.
Q: Who is the suzerain?
A: The more powerful country Y is called the suzerain and can usually control the foreign relations of X (how X interacts with other countries).
Q: What does it mean for a country to be a vassal?
A: A vassal is a country that must pay tribute to another more powerful nation, often referred to as the feudal lord.
Q: Can you give an example of how this works in practice?
A: For example, if Country X was under the influence of Country Y, Country Y would have control over how Country X interacts with other countries and could require Country X to pay tribute or taxes as part of their agreement.
Q: Is there any other meaning for "suzerain"?
A: Yes, "suzerain" can also refer to a feudal lord who receives tribute from vassals.
