有部分的學者習慣將「叩閽」與「京控」視為同一種制度，並給予廣義「京控」與狹義「京控」的區分。事實上，他們是兩種制度。「叩閽」源於古代的「直訴」，到了明清時期，才從「叩閽」制度的基礎上發展出另一個制度－「京控」。雖然這兩種訴訟制度主要目的皆為「伸冤」，是中央集權政府給予人民申訴冤枉的「捷徑」。清政府對這兩者的處理方式與態度卻截然不同。康熙朝中晚期，是政府對叩閽較為放任的時期。乾隆朝以後，民人叩閽被論重罪的情形越來越普遍，民人京控被論以重罪的情形則漸漸減少。到嘉、道兩朝之後，京控逐漸取代了叩閽制度，成為獨立於清朝傳統訴訟程序之外的「特別訴訟程序」。

Some scholars used to see Kouhun and Jingkong as the same system, but actually they were completely different ones. Kouhun originated from traditional Zhisu. Only since Ming Dynasty, Jingkong separated from Kouhun. Though these two systems were shortcuts to seek dispute resolving, and have the same purpose of grievance resolving, Qing government has shown different attitudes towards them. In late Kangxi era, Kouhun was highly tolerated. Since Qianlong era, it became more and more common for those who raised Kouhun to be criminalized on the one hand, on the other hand it became less and less common for those who raised Jingkong to be criminalized. After Jiaqing, Daoguang era, Jingkong gradually replaced Kouhun as a special litigation procedure independent of traditional litigation.