本文主要探討南宋高宗建炎元年（1127） 迄至紹興四年（1134）期間弓手設置的情形。由於金亡北宋，宋室南渡，高宗一方面帶領宋人繼續與金作戰，另一方面為了維持社會秩序，因此增募許多新置弓手。隨著南宋政權趨於穩定，紹興四年高宗罷廢新置弓手。在新置弓手設置的這七年間，舊置弓手與之並存，然而新舊弓手的待遇並不一致，造成牴牾。此外，值得注意的是，新舊弓手的主要任務除了逐捕盜賊之外，還包括對抗金兵，此時弓手的性質明顯從職役轉化為軍。
因此本文擬以高宗建炎元年（1127）至紹興四年（1134）作為時間斷限，研究此時期弓手的員額編制、待遇、工作與弓手的管理等等，進而說明弓手在這段時期的轉變。

This article mainly discusses the placement of bowmen during the first year of Kao Tsung’s reign in the South Sung Dynasty (1127 ) and the 4th year of Shaoxing (1134). The fall of the North Sung’s Kin army caused the royal family to travel south. Kao Tsung delegated his people to continue fighting with the remaining Kin army while placing more bowmen to maintain the societal order. As the government of the South Sung Dynasty stabilized, the bowmen were removed during the 4th year of Shaoxing. In these 7 years, treatment for the original bowmen and the new ones was of
controversy. Additionally, the bowmen were not only to chase down the thieves, but also helping to defend against the Kin army, clearly serving as military men instead of public officers. Therefore, in the time frame between the first year (Chienyen, 1127) and 4th year (Shaoxing, 1134) of Kao Tsung’s reign, this article discusses the dispatch system, wage system, job content, and the manage system of the bowmen, and further
explains the transformation of bowmen during this time.