During the Kangxi (16621722) and Qianlong(17361795) periods of the Qing Dynasty, Hakka people in Taiwan Province were awarded the title of “Yimin” (“righteous people”) for helping the Qing army put down peasant riots. During the reign of Xianfeng and Tongzhi (18511874), the Hakkas in West Guangdong also helped the Qing army to suppress the riots and were honored as Yimin. It is interesting to note that both of the Hakka’s deeds in suppression of the riots in the two places were later accused of venting personal spite under the disguise of righteousness. However, the official attitude was quite different in the two places. Hakka’s Yimin identity in Taiwan Province has always been preserved, and even developed into the Yimin worship; while the Hakka Yimin in West Guangdong was later defamed as a “banditry”, and was even forced to disband and move elsewhere by the government. The deep reason for such different results lies in the different interest of the Qing government in the two places. In West Guangdong, the aim is to maintain regional stability; while in Taiwan, the purpose is to highlight the authority of the government. It can be inferred that whether the Hakkas became “righteousness” or “banditry” is decided by the Qing government on the basis of their loyalty to the government.