How did merchant guilds influence political life?

Guilds often funded public works, maintained their own security, and were so powerful that kings frequently consulted them on economic policy.

Ancient and Medieval Guilds

UPSC Archival Analysis

Q: Which one of the following was a corporation of merchants in ancient India?

Manigramam was a prominent corporation or guild of merchants in South India, specifically during the medieval period, involved in extensive local and overseas trade.

Exam Year

1997

Evidence Source

UPSC Level

ID: HIS_MED_1997_26 Ref: K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, History of South India