Research on Debt Homicide Cases in mid Qianlong and mid-late Daoguang Reigns

Abstract

Using a sample of 12163 debt homicide cases for 1766 - 1775 and 1836 - 1845，collected from homicide reports of Qing Dynasty，this paper explores the characteristics of debt contracts formation and execution. We find that，on the formation side，these contracts are mostly made orally，with relative small capital amount，lots of zero-interest rate loans and short and often not clear loan period，and usually without collateral or guarantors. On the execution side，most deals are executed by lenders themselves， guarantors are rarely involved in resolving disputes，and very few disputes are submitted to court. These lending transactions display a remarkable feature of vagueness. By listing several cases，we find that this kind of vagueness is one of important causes of violence.