INSECURITY, OUTLAWRY AND SOCIAL ORDER: BANDITRY IN CHINA'S HEILONGJIANG FRONTIER REGION, 1900--1931.

The article examines banditry and outlawry in China's northeastern province of Heilongjian in the years 1900 to 1931. The author argues that frontier societies such as Heilongjian, which was sparsely populated and geographically isolated, experience increased levels of criminal behavior than do urban areas because of a lack of strong governance and civil institutions. The author surveys the history of the Heilongjian's population and social development, and the Chinese government's attempts at combating endemic banditry.