本文企圖結合歷史學與犯罪學的研究方法，以同治朝巴縣檔案中的竊盜類案件為史料來研究犯罪的歷史。首先發現同治朝的三大重要歷史事件：同治元年太平軍殘餘勢力的騷擾、同治二年的真原堂教案，以及同治三年開始的米價陡升，都直接影響竊盜事件的發生。然而，個人的能動性不全然受歷史大事件的影響，由是本文第二節分析個人的犯罪動機。大多數被捕犯人的口供自陳犯罪的原因是貧窮，且多是下層的勞動階層。他們往往經過理性考量後，組織成竊盜集團，有計畫地犯案。然而並非貧窮者都可能成為罪犯，而是同時還要有合適的標的物出現與監控者不在場的情境下，才會發生偷竊行為，由此可見機會的出現相當重要。再者並不是所有竊犯都是貧窮者，而是有犯罪傾向者，在日常生活中碰到了誘惑的情境機會而引發偷竊的行為。第三節呈現犯罪的複雜過程。偷竊方式以破壞牆壁或門窗的方法為主，「飛賊」的例子不多。某些特殊的時節例如廟會節慶與婚禮，容易吸引竊賊。偷竊的物品裡金器珠寶並非常見，而是服飾類的物品居多。竊嫌的銷贓有幾種管道，除了到當鋪與地方的市場變賣外，還有專門的接贓者。竊賊背後還有重要的黑手，即窩戶，不但窩藏竊賊，幫助銷贓，甚至可能是竊盜集團的主使者。

The present paper attempts to combine the research methods of history and criminology to investigate crime during the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor by using cases of theft in the archives of Ba county, Sichuan, from 1862 to 1875 as historical data for analysis. First of all, it has been found that three important historical events of the period, namely instances of harassment by remnants of the Taiping army in 1862, the “Zhenyuan 真原 Catholic Church Incident” which occurred in 1863, and the sharp rise in rice prices beginning in 1864, all directly affected the occurrence of theft cases. However, individual agency was not entirely affected by historical events. The second section of this paper analyzes the motivations of individual criminals. The majority of arrested criminals confessed that their motive was poverty and most of them came from the lower or working class. In addition, after rational consideration, they often organized into groups and systematically committed their crimes. Not everyone faced with poverty, of course, became a criminal as, perhaps most importantly, the presence of suitable unguarded targets provided opportunities, showing the importance of opportunity for thievery. Moreover, not all thieves were impoverished and tempting situational opportunities encountered within their daily lives likewise led to theft. The third section of this essay explores the complex processes of crime. Instances of “cat burglars” were far and few between as the main method involved damaging walls or doors and windows to gain entry. Other examples highlight that certain special occasions, such as temple festivals and weddings, also tended to attract thieves. Concerning the stolen items, clothing was in the majority, whereas gold and jewelry were rarely pilfered. Several channels existed for the disposal of stolen goods: in addition to pawn shops and local markets, there were fences, or movers, who specialized in the handling of the items. Finally, a “hidden hand” or mastermind led from behind the scenes, who not only helped to harbor criminals and sell stolen goods but was also likely to be the head of the criminal syndicate.