11.4 Trade-Guilds
Trade Guilds
2020-04-27 12:02:22
JC van Leur : India-SE Asia trade was in hands of small time peddlers
This view has been contradicted
- Powerful guilds and Corporate organisation of Merchants were prominent
- Samaya : organisation created through agreement or contract has been mentioned
- Had their own code of conduct called Bananju dharma
- Ayyavole (the 500) originally from Aihole became largest regional association of merchants
- Inscription mentioning them have been found in Lad Khan temple of Aihole - 8th century
- Debate on whether it was centralised or federation
- Enjoyed royal patronage esp Cholas
- Manigrammam was another imp merchant guild
- Inscriptions mentioning them found in Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Thailand
- Traders accompanied by soldiers
- Stone guild inscriptions frequently include a prashasti of the guild
- 12th cent onwards they became less dependent on royal support, joint donation to temples, armed escorts became common