Chinese secret societies and their origin
This 1878 article by W.A. Pickering, published in the inaugural volume of the Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, examines the origins and nature of Chinese secret societies (pp. 63–84).
Summary
The piece is a 22-page study addressing the historical development and character of Chinese secret societies, a subject of considerable interest to colonial administrators and scholars in the Straits Settlements during the late nineteenth century. Pickering’s treatment, appearing in the first issue of the journal, likely draws on both Chinese historical sources and contemporary observations from the Straits region, where such societies (e.g., the Triads and related organisations) were a prominent feature of Chinese community life and a recurring concern for colonial governance.