Chapter 5 Forgery: Gaining Trust in a Land of Documents and Seals

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Acknowledgments ix
4. Note on Terms and Conventions xiii
5. Dynastic Periods and Qing Reign Eras xiv
6. Introduction. Crimes, Commoners, and the State 1
7. Chapter 1 Meng Guangzu: The Prince’s Tour and the Struggle for the Throne 12
8. Chapter 2 Secret Agents: High Tide and Disappearance, 1723–1800 26
9. Chapter 3 “En Route to My Post” and Other Tall Tales: Phony Officials on the Move 50
10. Chapter 4 Phony Cops: The Persistence of Police Impersonation 70
11. Chapter 5 Forgery: Gaining Trust in a Land of Documents and Seals 95
12. Chapter 6 Bad Proxies and Bogus Credentials: Forgery and the Purchase of Official Rank 123
13. Chapter 7 From Politics to Money: Legal Reckoning in the High Qing 142
14. Conclusion 165
15. Appendix: List of Archival Case Records 175
16. Abbreviations 185
17. Notes 187
18. Chinese Character Glossary 221
19. Bibliography 227
20. Index 241