Suzerainty
Relationsship where one is following the lead of another. Between polities suzerainty denotes the lack of autonomy in foreign policy and often include payment of substantive tribute by the vasal.
Suzerainty is the rights and duties of the master in relation to a slave who is autonomous only in matters of self-sustenance having transferred the power to decide in external matters to the master or suzerain. Suzerainty thus denotes the obligations and rights of the dominant part in the relation. Such relationships can be mutually beneficial. In global politics, we speak of suzerainty in rare incidences, but can refer to relationships being suzerain where practically all autonomy in a polity’s foreign affairs are under the control of another polity. The subordinate polity is a tributary state, often led by whomever is able to gather the tribute to the suzerain. Tributary states are often referred to as vasals and their perspective of the relation, being subjected to the will of the suzerain, is called vasallage, which is also the term for rights and obligations of a vasal.