〈淡新檔案〉為清代中國僅存的數個地方官府檔案之一，保留清代臺灣淡新地區豐富的地方行政與訴訟活動紀錄。美國學者M. A. Allee（艾馬克）曾以社會史取徑分析〈淡新檔案〉D22202大溪墘莊抗租糾紛等數個具代表性的「核心」控案，以說明清代臺灣社會經濟發展與法律文化的關聯，並闡述清代國家如何以「法律」整合地方社會。但他對清代臺灣之政治與經濟制度脈絡認識不足，無法正確詮釋訴訟成因與過程，以致難以有效闡明清代的訴訟文化與社會整體發展的關聯。 與此相較，筆者應用「法律的社會史」研究取徑，分析〈淡新檔案〉內包含D22202一案在內的15個漢墾莊抗租案，對這些案件之訴訟起因與過程提出新的社會史詮釋。筆者一方面透過土地開墾史的詳細分析，闡明了這些抗租案的不同發生成因，指出D22202等案並非一般典型的大小租業糾紛，而是導因於該案所在的竹北二堡之特定開墾歷程及其土地租佃結構，澄清漢墾莊以大小租業關係為軸心之經濟與政治發展，和土地訴訟活動間的外部關聯。另一方面，筆者也將訴訟過程重新擺回整體社會空間脈絡中，逐案分析地方官員、銜役、原告、被告等行動者在地方訴訟空間之內與之外的互動，進一步說明地方訴訟空間之內與之外的多重關聯。同時，筆者亦藉由官員聽訟審理過程的分析，說明了清代國家透過法律整合地方社會的具體機制。

The Dan-Xin Archives, a collection of case files in the Danshui and Xinzhu local court during the Qing Dynasty, abound with historical records of local administration and judicial activities in northern Taiwan. Analyzing five “core cases”, including the rent resistance case of D22202 in the Archives, Mark A. Allee tries to interpret how the local court integrates disparate groups within society by way of judicial activities. However, Allee investigated so little institutional practice of political, economic and legal spaces in northern Taiwan that he couldn't provide us with a persuasive explanation relating the relationship between law and social change in Qing. In comparison to Allee's analysis on this case of D22202, this paper analyzes fifteen rent resistance cases (including D22202) in the same geographic zone, namely the Han-Reclamation District. With the help of a new analytical frame--“a social history study of law,” the author reinterprets the institutional causes of these cases and the practical logic in the judicial space. On the one hand, in light of the land reclamation process in Han-Reclamation District, the author clarifies the true causes of the case D22202 and other cases, and explains these diverse relationships among legal disputes, economic and political contradictions. On the other hand, this paper examines the litigation process of these cases in terms of relevant social context. It depicts the interactive logics of magistrate, clerk, runner, accuser and the accused inside and outside the local judicial space. In conclusion, the author finds that local magistrate generally dosen't adjudicate these cases according to contract terms or legal facts, but actively manipulates his legal practice in order to maintain social order.