Imperial China The leaders of the baos were given authority to maintain local order, collect taxes, and organize civil projects. The idea of the system was that it would diminish the government's reliance on
mercenaries, and that it would instead assign responsibility of law enforcement to these civil societies. During the
Qing dynasty, the baojia system was expanded across all of China. However, Ju Dongzu has written that the system was "on the whole ineffective" during this time, and "remained a formality" for several centuries after its introduction. Being primarily the system of self-defense, in 1885,
baojia was extended to cover tax collection. This resulted in power abuses and local unrest.
Modern China The baojia system has continued to resonate with Chinese citizens during the 20th century. During the
boycott of Japanese products that occurred during the
May Fourth Movement in 1919, students modeled their resistance on the baojia system. Ten people swore a collective oath to boycott Japanese products, and to make sure that the other nine members of their group upheld their oath. Each member of the group was to attempt to convert nine outsiders to the cause, forming ten groups of ten, which could come together as a group of one hundred. Finally, ten groups of one hundred could meet to form a one thousand person brigade. As with the traditional baojia system, one member of each group of ten became leader of the group. Although no functional group of one thousand ever existed, there is evidence that the ten person groups played an important role in carrying out the boycott. During the later
Republic of China era,
Chiang Kai-shek pressed for the reintroduction of the baojia system.
He Yingqin argued that the baojia system could be used as the basis for the switch from a mercenary to a compulsory military service. The system had some success, but there was great difficulty in finding qualified and willing
baozhang, as the position was unpaid. The
Japanese also revived the baojia (in Japanese,
Tonarigumi) system in
Manchukuo on December 22, 1933. In this case, the system's primary purpose was to monitor and control the Chinese citizens. The government instituted a
lianzuo punishment system, in which crimes committed by one family in a
pai would result in punishment for all ten families in that
pai. This gave the
paizhang a large incentives to monitor the other families in his
pai. The Tonarigumi system was also a self-defense unit and an operational mutual responsibility and surveillance organization. This system lasted until 1937, when the all-out war being waged in East Asia forced the Japanese government to consider more direct and centralized control schemes. On December 1, 1937, a new district and village government system was announced.
Taiwan under Japanese rule In
Taiwan under Japanese rule, the baojia system inherited from the Qing government was adapted into the
Hoko system. The system was an effective mechanism in producing domestic stability and social order for the Japanese government. ==Structure==