Guilds played an important role in trade and commerce throughout ancient Indian history. They were organized groups of merchants and artisans that helped facilitate economic activity and growth. Guilds gained significant power and influence over time, taking on administrative, judicial, and banking functions in many cities and helping support the development of arts, crafts, and infrastructure projects through their donations.

1. Guilds in Ancient India
Dr. Virag Sontakke
Assistant Professor
Center for Advanced Studies
Department of A.I.H.C. & Archaeology,
Banaras Hindu University

2. Guilds

3. Introduction
• Guild: an organisation of people who do the same job or have
the same interest.
• Guild, was the industrial and mercantile organization of ancient
India
• Guilds took a predominant role in trade and commerce.
• Its also helps to restored the socio-economic progress during the
ages.
• Long history of presence

4. Terms and Meanings
• The term ‘Sreni’ is present in ancient literatures, epigraphs, seals and
sealing all like.
• ‘Sreni’ as ‘a form of industrial and mercantile organization’
• In the typical sense of a guild of artisans and craftsmen.
• In the Buddhist and Jain texts, Naigama is used in the sense of the
commercial town center inhibited by many tradesmen.
• Dharamakosa refers to naigama as a group of merchants of different
castes going together to foreign lands for trade.

5. Origin of the Guilds
• The root of Indian guilds to some extent lay under the ancient Varna
system.
• Division of labour under the varna system was conducive to the
emergence of guild organization.
• Vaishya: Agriculture, Cattle rearing and trade & commerce – Varta.
• Formed own occupational groups.
• These groups were engaged in the processes of production, distribution
and exchange.

6. Growth of Guilds
• People living in a area and following the same occupation
• The professions as hereditary had the advantage
• The experience of the previous generation
• Easy trained craftsmen available to different guilds.
• Thus localization of crafts
• Helpful for safety, separate identity
• Organizing into guilds very helpful
1. For providing safety
2. Security of craftsmen and traders and their merchandise
3. Dangers of robbers and irregular troops.
4. For prevention of calamities and
5. Easy performance of duties.

7. Development of Guilds
• Urbanization was an important factor
• The rise of large territorial states
• Stable political condition
• Improvement in road transport
• Writing system,
• Coinage provided a great impetus
• The hereditary nature of professions
All proved helpful in the development of guilds.

8. Religious Association and Growth
• The spread of Buddhism and Jainism helped the development of various
business activities.
• No cast system
• As the followers of Buddhism and Jainism free from expensive rituals like
Brahmanical religion, it could be available for investment in crafts, trade
and commerce.
• They himself become a follower of Buddhism
• Thus Buddhism seem to have provided better environment for further
advancement of guilds.
• Guilds have develop more particularly in areas where these two religions
flourished

9. Why need systematic organization?
1. Long distance
2. Difficulty in Mode of transportations
3. Road network: ports and hinterland
4. Forested land
5. Un occupied land
6. Diversity in language
7. Protection from thief and dacoit’s
8. Maritime trade

10. Periodic Evolution of the Guilds
1. Indus Valley Civilizations
2. Vedic & post Vedic period
3. During 6th Century BCE
4. Mauryan Period (320 -200 B.C.)
5. Post-Mauryan Period (200 B.C. -300 A.D.)
6. Gupta Period (300 - 600 A.D.)
7. Early Medieval Period (600 – 1200 A.D.)

11. Indus Valley Civilization
1. Urban nature
2. Well planned society
3. Seals and sealings
4. Material remains from Mesopotamia
5. Melluha
6. Dockyard at Lothal
7. Ports at western coast

12. Vedic & later Vedic period
• Vedic economy basically they were agricultural-pastoral.
• Rigved: Pani
• Terms like sreni, puga, gana, in Vedic literature as indicative of
guild organization.
• In later Vedic period reference of Shreshthin and Shreshthiya
• R. C. Majumdar and Radhakumud Mukherjee : Shreshthin, Vrata
and sangh were probably denotes presence of guilds.
• Brh. Upnishad: Ganak (Gana/Sangh)
• Conclusion: Rural economy, Shreni: row of folks, birds or animal
• Shreshthin: Rich ?

13. During 6th Century BCE
• Emergence of the cities and sixteen Mahajanapadas
• Rural organization to well settled urban units
• Growth of cities
• Usage of coins
• The use of writing
• Enhancement of traders and artisans
• Development of Art and Crafts
• Progress of specific centres
• Well established Varnasharm system

14. Guild During 6th Century BCE
Jataka, and on the basis of Jataka, Dr. R. Devid 18 class of Guilds
1. Wooden / Carpenter
2. Metal smith
3. Cobbler
4. Painter
5. Sculpture
6. Weavers
7. Potter
8. Ivory worker
9. Cloth dyer
10. Beads maker
11. Fisher
12. Butcher
13. Hunter
14. Cook
15. Barber
16. Sailor
17. Garland maker
18. Bamboo worker

15. Guild: Structure
• Mostly belong to the similar profession
• Related to akin Products, Art-craft
• Belongs to Same cast
• People of different cast associated to Similar profession
• One Chief (Jetthak, Pramukh, Setthi)
• Carpenter Chief=Baddhkijetthak ब#िकजे(क
• Chief of Metalurgist क)कार जे(क
• Chief of Garland मालाकर जे(क
• Sometimes lived in separate village
• Such villages known as craft specialized village
• During Buddhas time Chief of Guilds living in high profile

16. Development of Guilds During 6th Century
1. Professions became hereditary
2. Certain specialised centres evolved
3. Ex. Kulinchitra Jataka: Vaddkigram near Varanasi where 500 carpenters lived.
4. Well established economic association
5. Well organised community
6. Buddhist literature: Guilds were living like royal life
7. Chief of the Guilds were presence in the important political ceremonies
8. A few were actively participated in Government administrations
9. Ex. Nigrodha Jataka: Magadh king appointed Pottik (Jetthak) as Bhandagarika
10. Bhandagarika= Look after the guilds association
11. Erag Jataka: Two Jettak were appointed as Mahamatra by Kosal King
12. Baberu jataka: Traders jointly goes to the Baberu (Babylon) and gain profit
13. Samudravanik Jataka: 500 carpenter traders of Banaras take order and fled midnight
14. Gain prestigious position in society
15. Also imparted Justice

17. Guilds: Mauryan Period
• Vast and fairly well-knit empire.
• Uniform and efficient system of administration.
• State regulated trade and commerce and brought under its monopoly
• State fixes rates of items (indigenous and foreign).
• Punishment for violation of rules including artisans,
• Officials were to keep records of trades and crafts and guilds.
• Restriction on Mobility
• Earlier freedom of guilds somehow suppressed
• Their political position was also demised
• Guilds were came under state control and officer “Akshapataladhakshya” was
look after them.
• Kautilya: Property of Guilds can be seized during war.
• Outsiders guilds were not allowed

18. Guilds: Mauryan Period
• Instead of such, some facilities were granted by the state.
• Guilds having separate areas in the town for running their trades and
crafts.
• Still they enjoyed their own administrative system
• Guilds act as banking system
• Borrow and lent money
• A few guilds keep separate military for tour-travel safety
• The long distance high-ways (mainly from Pataliputra to Pushkalavati, via
Taxila) constructed and maintained
• Provision of easy transportation of goods.
• Guilds sealing are found in archaeological excavations from Bhita and
Hargaon

19. Post-Mauryan Period
• In this period north-western and western part of India controlled by the Indo-
Greeks, Sakas, Kushanas, and Parthians.
• Southern India ruled by Satavahana
• Guilds assumed more power and influence
• Developed international trade relations with the Roman Empire
• The discovery of the north-eastern monsoon, minimizing the danger of piracy
intensified Indo-Roman trade.
• Then Indian mercantile activity also extended to central Asia and China.
• India was the main exporter of the luxury items to the Roman Empire and
earned huge profits.
• A large number of coins indicates a greater circulation of money-economy
• Guilds have played a significance role.
• ‘Milindapanho’ refers to a number of occupational guilds, their number being
much greater than the early periods.

20. Post-Mauryan Period
• Epigraphs from Sanchi, Bharhut, Buddhagaya, Mathura, and sites in
Western Deccan refer to a number of donations by various kinds of
merchants.
• Mahavastu: 18 numbers of guilds
• Guild again actively participated in administrations
• They were also engaged in Judicial functions
• According to Yajnavalkya, guilds rules were to be followed by the
members like state rules.
• Thapadyal: the guild system had much more developed form in this time

21. Nature of Guilds: Samiti
1. Committee:
a) Guilds association formed committee to run administration
b) Senior members were elected
c) Head of make decision
2. Guilds Position in society
a) They received high respect
b) They participate meetings with king
c) Construction Buddhist rock cut caves
3. Administrative Power:
a) Run city councils
b) Act as a Judge
c) Issue their seals (Taxila, Kaushambi)
d) Donated lands to the Buddhist monasteries
4. Guilds as a Bank
a) Due to their prestige they were reliable and act as a bank
b) They received money and give incentives
c) Nasik cave inscription Rishabdatt deposited 3000 in Guild for dress and material of Buddhist monks
d) Huvishk Mathura inscription: one officer deposited 11oo silver coins in two guilds for daily food and essential
needs for brahmanas.

22. Main Guild of this periods
• Guilds of flour-makers,
• Weavers,
• Oil-millers,
• Potters,
• Corn-dealers,
• Bamboo-workers,
• Bead makers
• Smiths

23. Gupta Period
• Development of internal and external trade and commerce.
• Though, decline of Indo-Roman trade.
• Increase in trade with the countries of South-East Asia
• But the arts and crafts and internal trades prospered considerably.
• Metallurgy had reached a very high stage of development.
• Guilds must have contributed in a large measure towards such developments.
• Various literary and epigraphic evidence of this period bears witness to the prosperity of the guilds and
their increased activities.
• Guild continued to function as banks, and courts, and made religious and charitable donations.
• The chief of artisans and traders’ guild acted as members of advisory board of the district
administration
• Actually guild came to acquire considerable autonomous power.
• They run the city administrations and issued their seals and sealings

24. Gupta Period
• Laws of the Guilds strengthened and acceptable
• Kings were also provide complete freedom to their autonomous setup
• Head and members of Guilds were respectable in society
• They were present in the important meetings of the state
• Guilds owns their specialized area in the city
• They had separate office, meeting hall, and flags.
• They were donate and provide economical support to state for public
welfare works
• They were also deposited money from the Kings for donative purpose
• They were also engaged in judicial works
• Varahmihir: Guilds chiefs known as “Ganap”, Shreshthi
• Mudrarakshas (Vishakhadatta): Chandandas was head of whole city.

25. Important Guilds of Gupta Period
1. Architect
2. Gold smiths
3. Carpenter
4. Weaver
5. Dyier
6. Cobbler
7. Painter
8. Oiler
9. Stone cutter
1. Evidence of strong political
power.
2. Vaishali:
a) 0े1ीिनगम,
b) क
ु 6लका िनगम,
c) 0े1ीक
ु 6लक िनगम
d) 0े1ीवाह क
ु 6लक िनगम

26. Early Early Medieval Period
• Disturbed political condition.
• Except Harshvardhan no major rulers.
• Emergence of Feudal states
• The period of constant conflicts.
• Foreign invasions of Hunas and, later on Ghaznis.
• Atmosphere of confusion and chaos
• Trade and industry suffered setback to a great extent.
• Thus political upheaval exercised its worst effect on the guild
organization
• The trade and industry was slackened
• Decline of economic condition
• Decline of Buddhism

27. Early Early Medieval Period
• The traders and merchants were sighing under the border of additional
taxes in this period.
• The merchants, in general, were asked to pay some dues by custom
house in each cartload of goods passing through the roads.
• Arthuna inscription of Parmara Camundaraja, dated 1079 CE, also gives
a list of taxes levied on different trade and crafts.
• A Siyadoni inscription records that, in 912 CE, Nagaka, a merchant
withdrawn his amount from the guild and he deposited the money in the
temple.
• As a result, the temples became gradually the richest institutions of the
time greatly affecting the guilds’ finance and prestige.
• Consequently, the guilds lost their grounds to the temples during early
medieval India.

28. Guilds in Early Medieval Period
• Discovery of new area for trade
• A few guilds remain important
• New type of guilds were also observed due to new class of people
• Al-Beruni: Bird-hunter, cobbler, monkey tamer, basket weaver, sailer, fishermen, weaver the prominent
one.
• South India: guilds known as “Vantrja” वाण$ज
• Main guilds
1. Manigraman:
a) Active guild in south India from 9th to 13th century
b) Member of Hindu and Christian
c) Participate in Maritime trade
2. Nanadeshi:
a) One of biggest guild organization
b) Active during Chol period
c) In 11-12 century trade with South-east Asia (Sumatra, Burma)
d) 1500 members (Hindu, Vaihnav, Shauv, Jain)
e) Had separate military

29. Conclusion
• Guilds throw light on the rich past of Ancient India
• Trade and commerce was indeed favourable business
• Due to economic gain; guilds were respected in ancient India
• Guilds enjoyed the high prestige in the society
• They also donate and construct various monuments
• They were reliable and act as bank
• Their presence in the city reflects the economical prosperity
• Guilds actively participate in ancient administration
• Stable Political conditions always needed for growth of trade and
industry and consequently guild organization.