A chief held his district by virtue of his own strength rather than the direct patronage of a suzerain.
In return for protection, the cities often furnished a contingent to the army or navy of their suzerain, and sometimes paid tribute either in money or in kind.
But suzerains, too, had to preserve their honor and prestige by their relationships and behavior.
The "ideal of conquest" is "not a destructive and predatory invasion", but "a sacrificial progression" aiming at "a strengthening adhesion to a suzerain power".
Respect their history, respect their dignity, shake off the arrogance and haughtiness of the suzerain!
These requirements had to be repeated as often as there was a change in the person of the suzerain or vassal.
The suzerain, e.g. bishop, abbot, or other possessor, granted an estate in perpetuity to a person, who thereby became his vassal.
This was based on a separate clause of the treaty which did recognize that he had previously been the suzerain of the concerned lands.
