Abstract: This article investigates the development of porter organizations in Chongqing from 1771 to 1874，and discusses the violent behavior of these social entities. The article concludes that violence was not an endogenous behavior of porters. Instead，it was an adaptive strategy impelled by the ineffective governance of local ofcials in a complex market economy. The article argues that the character and behavior of a certain social group cannot be labeled easily and solidly and that researchers should put more emphasis on the structuring process during which the character and behavior of these organizations were gradually molded.