Traditionally, rulers would appoint ambassadors to take care of foreign relations with other states. These ambassadors would visit other countries and exercise diplomacy in order to improve political relations, promote trade and commerce, build upon assets or increase military strength in case of invasions in the offing.

The rulers were obliged to receive the ambassador with honour and respect but sometimes diplomatic protocols were violated and ambassadors would be insulted, humiliated and even killed. This display of hostility and contempt would result in war between the two countries.

In the 4th century BC, when a conflict occurred between Persia and the Greek city states, the Persian King Darius sent ambassadors to Spartan King Amyntas demanding earth and water as a symbol of submission. The idea being that those surrendering to the Persians would give up all their rights over their land and every product of the land.

Instead of agreeing to the demands for unconditional surrender, the city state of Sparta killed the ambassador to show its defiance. Some of the other Greek city states agreed to the demand while those who disagreed began to prepare for war which consequently led to the Greco-Persian war (492–449BC).

Similarly, when Genghis Khan sent an ambassador to Khwarizm, diplomatic traditions were violated and the ambassador was killed by Alauddin. Enraged, Genghis invaded Khwarzim, defeated the ruler, ravaged the country and slaughtered its people.

During the Sultanate period, Mongol invasions were prevented by maintaining diplomatic relations. Balban, the Sultan of Delhi received the Mongol ambassador with respect. He especially arranged the court to display the grandeur and military power of his rule.

Likewise, the Mughal rulers also welcomed ambassadors from different countries to their court. They regarded the Persian ambassador as their equal while the envoys from the Arab states were treated with contempt; ordering the subordinate officers to dismiss them from court after giving them a small donation. Once the ambassador from Shah Abbas visited Akbar’s court and recited the following verses in praise of his master. “Zangi is proud of his soldiers, tribe and army; Rumi is proud of his spear, sword, and daggers, Akbar is proud of his treasury full of gold, Abbas is proud of Zulfiqar Haider (Ali).”

To this, Faizi, the poet laureate, promptly replied: “The paradise is proud of salsabil and kausar (names of two rivers in the Paradise), the sea is proud of pearls and the sky of stars, Abbas, is proud of Zulfiqar Haider, the universe is proud of the holy person.” Akbar was pleased at Faizi’s response.

Akbar invited diplomatic missions from Goa, which was then a Portuguese colony. He also sent an emissary to the ruler of Spain but the ambassador who was nominated for this trip was so afraid of long journeys that he disappeared at some point while travelling, never quite making it to his destination.

Jahangir took pride in being an art connoisseur and purveyor; whether it was a creation of his court painters or art that was brought by Jesuit missions. Thomas Roe, the English ambassador, presented to him an English carriage which he liked very much. However, there is no mention of the gift or the ambassador in his memoirs, Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri.

These European ambassadors maintained diplomatic relations with the Mughals as they were interested in obtaining commercial concessions. The Mughal rulers appointed the nobility to handle them who didn’t always treat them on an equal basis and they were rarely granted audience with the emperor.

In Russia, Czar Peter was interested in learning European technology in order to modernise Russia. To achieve this purpose, he accompanied the Russian emissary in disguise when they visited different European countries. The diplomatic mission was elaborately arranged with Russian richness and glamour on display which did wonders for the Russian image. Czar Peter laboured incognito in a shipyard to study the technique of shipbuilding and on his return to Russia he launched a programme to modernise his country on the European model.

The tradition to appoint a permanent ambassador to represent countries was introduced in the 13th century, when small Italian states who fought against each other decided to have a permanent embassy to negotiate peace and maintain friendly relations.

The practice of permanent ambassadors became widespread in other European countries during the 16th century. The host country was obliged to ensure the safety of the ambassador and his staff. More rights for the diplomats were granted in 1815 at the Congress of Vienna. Since then all countries have permanent ambassadors to represent their countries, and they work to avoid crises and maintain friendly relations.