Baojia system facts for kids

The baojia system was an old way of organizing people in China. It was like a community watch system where groups of families helped each other with law enforcement and keeping order. This system also helped collect taxes and organize community projects. Chinese: 保甲; pinyin: bǎojiǎ; Wade–Giles: pao3-chia3

How the Baojia System Started

The baojia system was first created by a person named Wang Anshi during the Northern Song dynasty. He introduced it as part of his big plan to change the Chinese government, called "the New Policies," between 1069 and 1076.

History of the Baojia System

Early Chinese Dynasties

Leaders of the baojia groups were given power to keep things orderly in their local areas. They also helped collect taxes and organize community projects. The main idea behind this system was to make the government less reliant on mercenaries (soldiers who are paid to fight). Instead, it gave the responsibility of keeping the peace to these community groups.

During the Ming dynasty, specific rules for the baojia system were released in 1548. However, using the system wasn't mandatory for everyone. These rules were more like suggestions for officials who wanted to use the system in their regions. The Ming dynasty also had another system called lijia for collecting taxes, which sometimes worked alongside the baojia system.

Later, during the Qing dynasty, the baojia system was used all across China. However, some historians say that it wasn't very effective during this time. It often remained "just a formality," meaning it was on paper but not always actively used for many centuries. In 1885, the baojia system was also used for collecting taxes. This sometimes led to unfair practices and local problems.

The Baojia System in Modern Times

The idea of the baojia system continued to be important to Chinese people even in the 20th century. For example, during the May Fourth Movement in 1919, when people boycotted Japanese products, students used a similar group-based approach. Ten people would promise together to boycott Japanese goods and make sure their group members did the same. Each member then tried to convince nine other people to join, forming larger groups. Even though very large groups didn't fully form, these smaller ten-person groups were important in making the boycott happen.

Later, during the Republic of China era, a leader named Chiang Kai-shek wanted to bring the baojia system back. Another leader, He Yingqin, thought the baojia system could help change the military from using paid soldiers to having required military service for all citizens. The system had some success, but it was hard to find good leaders for the groups (called baozhang) because the position was unpaid.

The Japanese also used a similar system, called Tonarigumi, in Manchukuo starting in 1933. Here, the main goal was to watch and control Chinese citizens. They had a "mutual responsibility" system where if one family in a group of ten (called a pai) committed a crime, all ten families might be punished. This encouraged the group leader (paizhang) to keep a close eye on everyone. This system also acted as a self-defense unit. It lasted until 1937, when the ongoing war led the Japanese government to use more direct control methods.

Baojia in Taiwan

In Taiwan under Japanese rule, the baojia system that was already there from the Qing government was changed into the Hoko system. This system was very good at keeping things stable and orderly for the Japanese government in Taiwan.

How the Baojia System Was Organized

The way the baojia system was set up changed over time.

Early Structure

In Wang Anshi's original system, the smallest unit was called a bao (meaning "watch"), which included ten families. However, during the Ming dynasty, this ten-family unit was called a jia (meaning "tithing"). Ten jia (which meant one hundred families) then formed a bao. Each jia had a special sign that rotated among the families. The family holding the sign at any time was the jiazhang, or "tithing captain." Similarly, the leader of the bao was called the baozhang.

There were many differences in how the system worked in different regions. In some places, a jia might have as few as four families or as many as thirteen. Some areas even added an extra unit called a dang (meaning "compact"), which had thirty families and its own leader, the dangzhang.

Later Changes

During the Qing dynasty, the system's structure changed again. Ten households formed one pai, ten pai made up one jia, and every ten jia formed a bao. Studies have shown that the lowest "almost official" person was the xiangbao. This person looked after about twenty villages and was meant to be a link between the people and the government.

When the system was brought back during the Republic of China era, the basic structure stayed mostly the same. The main new addition was the lianbao (meaning "associated bao"), which was a group of several bao at the district level.