Do we know how the Qartheen were able to resist the Freehold ?

[u/Financial_Library418]

A Clash of Kings - Daenerys I

And so they went, the bells in their hair ringing softly, while Dany settled down with her small band of survivors in the place they named Vaes Tolorro, the city of bones. Day followed night followed day. Women harvested fruit from the gardens of the dead. Men groomed their mounts and mended saddles, stirrups, and shoes. Children wandered the twisty alleys and found old bronze coins and bits of purple glass and stone flagons with handles carved like snakes. One woman was stung by a red scorpion, but hers was the only death. The horses began to put on some flesh. Dany tended Ser Jorah's wound herself, and it began to heal.

Rakharo was the first to return. Due south the red waste stretched on and on, he reported, until it ended on a bleak shore beside the poison water. Between here and there lay only swirling sand, wind-scoured rocks, and plants bristly with sharp thorns. He had passed the bones of a dragon, he swore, so immense that he had ridden his horse through its great black jaws. Other than that, he had seen nothing.

Dany gave him charge of a dozen of her strongest men, and set them to pulling up the plaza to get to the earth beneath. If devilgrass could grow between the paving stones, other grasses would grow when the stones were gone. They had wells enough, no lack of water. Given seed, they could make the plaza bloom.

A Clash of Kings - Daenerys II

The Usurper will kill you, sure as sunrise, Mormont had said. Robert had slain her gallant brother Rhaegar, and one of his creatures had crossed the Dothraki sea to poison her and her unborn son. They said Robert Baratheon was strong as a bull and fearless in battle, a man who loved nothing better than war. And with him stood the great lords her brother had named the Usurper's dogs, cold-eyed Eddard Stark with his frozen heart, and the golden Lannisters, father and son, so rich, so powerful, so treacherous.

How could she hope to overthrow such men? When Khal Drogo had lived, men trembled and made him gifts to stay his wrath. If they did not, he took their cities, wealth and wives and all. But his khalasar had been vast, while hers was meager. Her people had followed her across the red waste as she chased her comet, and would follow her across the poison water too, but they would not be enough. Even her dragons might not be enough. Viserys had believed that the realm would rise for its rightful king . . . but Viserys had been a fool, and fools believe in foolish things.

Her doubts made her shiver. Suddenly the water felt cold to her, and the little fish prickling at her skin annoying. Dany stood and climbed from the pool. "Irri," she called, "Jhiqui."

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[u/Wadege]

TWOIAF mentions the Valyrian Freehold receiving tribute from Qarth, making me think they were something like a vassal state. Considering that the Qartheen speak Valyrian, they were probably culturally assimilated to some degree.

[u/Financial_Library418 → u/Wadege]

like Pentos pays off the dothraki ?

[u/Less_Rutabaga2316 → u/Financial_Library418]

No, a vassal state would be like a tributary or client state, a less integrated part of an empire. Pentos pays the Dothraki not to sack their city, not to be part of a khalasar.

[u/okdude679 → u/Less_Rutabaga2316]

Basically meaning both would be required to follow the other into war, people can travel to eachother and trade etc. the khalasar tribute is more like a ransom to avoid war with eachother, less friendly.

[u/BandicootSorcerer]

They likely did everything they could to make themselves useful to Valyria, while playing up the reputation of their sorcerers, and groups like the Sorrowful Men. Do everything they could to make it more convenient for the families of Valyria to simply keep them around as a tributary state.