Abstract
The social order in border ethnic minority areas has always been of great importance to the rulers of various dynasties. In areas of mixed Han-Yi 漢夷 settlement, both Han officials and indigenous chieftains held jurisdiction over their respective domains. This multiplicity of authorities complicated social governance and increased the difficulty of solving robbery and theft cases. When incidents such as robbery, theft, or human trafficking occurred, in addition to government-issued bounties for arrests, rewards to informants who provided leads were also offered personally by victims. According to Yi 彝 customary law, the cost of this “informant’s reward” (baokou yin 報口銀) was ultimately to be borne by the perpetrator. However, in judicial practice, without a written contract, authorities typically did not support the informant’s (fangbao ren 放報人) claim for reimbursement. The customary practice of protecting the anonymity of informants was also undermined, as informants were required to testify as witnesses in court proceedings. This reflects the dynamic adaptation of local customs when selectively incorporated into state law, revealing the twists and turns in the integration of the customary laws of the Yi with state law, as well as the profound challenges of governing frontier societies.
Keywords
Yi customary laws, Mianning county judicial archives, Huili county archives, government-issued bounties
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