To provide a communication system in which devices under control are managed by a management apparatus in a configuration that a master station device and a plurality of slave station devices perform communications, the management apparatus communicates with the master station device and each slave station device communicates with the devices under management by a parentage communication scheme for each slave station device communicates with the master station device in accordance with a communication from the master station device.

The management apparatus transmits request information to the devices under management to the master station device, the master station device transmits the request information to the slave station devices by the parentage communication scheme, and the slave station device transmits the request information to the devices under management. Each device under management transmits response information to the request information to the slave station device, each slave station device stores the response information and transmits it to the master station device by the parentage communication scheme in response to a transmission request from the master station device, and the master station device transmits the response information to the management apparatus. Based upon the response information, the management apparatus manages the devices under management.