| Abstract |
To maintain the functioning of the Eight Banners system, the Qing rulers developed a range of new measures after 1644, among which indemnity provisions for Banner soldiers were particularly important. Under these policies, the government granted payments to soldiers based on their ranks and circumstances. Indemnities were issued in cases such as death in battle, disability, old age, or serious illness, and there were also provisions for the widows and orphans of deceased soldiers, forming a relatively complete relief and retirement system. Although such measures were not originally created by the Qing, nor were they limited exclusively to the Banner forces, the emperors and officials regarded them as an essential means of protecting Banner livelihoods and ensuring the stability of the Banner system. These indemnity regulations were detailed and comprehensive, yet their implementation generated practical difficulties, administrative problems, and frequent disputes. This paper therefore examines the regulations and subsequent adjustments to these indemnity measures, the bureaucratic procedures involved in their administration and enforcement, as well as the controversies and corruption that arose in the process. It approaches these issues from the perspectives of state policy-making, official supervision, and the lived experiences of soldiers and their families in applying for compensation. |
