suzerijn

Suzerijn is the Dutch term for the suzerain-vassal relationship, a form of governance in which a more powerful state, the suzerain, allows a weaker state, the vassal, to maintain internal self-government while it reserves the right to manage external affairs such as defense and foreign policy. The vassal recognizes the suzerain's overall authority and usually provides allegiance, tribute, or military support as stipulated in a treaty.

The term suzerijn is derived from Old French suzerain and entered Dutch through legal and diplomatic usage; in English the corresponding terms are suzerain and suzerainty.

In practice, suzerainty implies a degree of autonomy in internal matters for the vassal, contrasted with the suzerain's prerogative to oversee external relations. It is distinct from full sovereignty, and the exact balance is defined by treaties and customary practice.

Historically, suzerainty was a common arrangement in feudal Europe and in imperial systems in Asia and Africa. Examples include feudal relationships in medieval Europe, Chinese suzerainty over peripheral kingdoms in East Asia, and the British recognition of princely states under British suzerainty in India.

In modern international law, suzerainty is largely a historical concept; most states are described as sovereign, and the term is mainly used in historical or scholarly contexts to describe asymmetrical power arrangements.