本文是利用清代旗地的契約文書和內務府檔案來探討旗地的問題。基本上，清朝入關以後，採取滿漢分治的統治方式，管理漢人的方式仍沿襲著明代的制度，設立省、府、州、縣衙門;管理旗人則設佐領、參領等。雖然佐領的功能相當於州縣，是掌管戶口、田、 兵籍、訴訟諸事，但是清初佐領對於旗地買賣卻不過問，不像民地買賣須至州縣衙門繳納契稅，以致於乾隆年間京畿附近八旗官兵的旗地典賣的數量超過三分之二。 其次，清朝統治旗人強調「國語騎射」，講究清語和騎馬射箭的技巧，卻忽略旗人適應當時社會的問題。由於旗人不懂經營田產，處處仰賴奴僕，有奴僕掌管土地文書;有奴僕負責收租;有奴僕負責耕種。旗人將他們的土地管理和生產過程，透過各層的奴僕如管家、莊頭、佃戶來經營，奴僕熟悉民間訂立契約的規範，能夠替主子買賣土地。 由此之故，清代以田畝和俸餉來恩養旗人，旗人的田畝約在十八世紀末已典賣殆盡，只剩微薄的俸餉養家糊口，導致旗人生計之困難。

　　　　　This study probes into the issues relevant to Banner land using Ch'ing Dynasty contract documentation and records from the Imperial Household Bureau. After the Banners occupied China, administration of the Han Chinese and the Banners was separately done. For the Han Chinese, Ming Dynasty systems were retained, with the establishment of provincial, prefecture, region and district governments. For the administration of the Banners, institutions such as the staff administrator (佐領) and the regimental commander (參領) were created. Although the staff administrator functioned very much like the district government of the Han Chinese, taking charge of such affairs as domicile, farms and residences, soldier accreditation and court litigation, he didn't exercise control over the buying and selling of Banner land properties. This was unlike the Han practice of paying contract dues to the district governments for land trading. By the reign of Emperor Chien-lung, it was found that, over two-thirds of the Banner land belonging to the Banners officials around the capital had already changed hands. Furthermore, the Banner language, horse-riding and archery received great emphasis among the Banners during the Ch'ing Dynasty. In contrast, the Banners' adjustment to then prevalent social problems was given scant attention. Because the Banners were unskilled in administering farm properties, they depended much on servants, who took charge of land documentation, lease collection and farming. Farm management and production were assigned to various ranks of servants, who were familiar with trading practices and contract regulations adopted by the general populace, and were therefore efficient in trading land on behalf of their masters. Farmland and allowances were bestowed by the Ch'ing government on the Banners. But by the end of the 18th Century, almost all of the dispensed land had already been sold out. Dependent on meager allowance for a living, the Banners faced livelihood difficulties as a consequence.