South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c2.2

c2.2

THE origin of the *Guilds* is a subject which has been much discussed, and upon which various opinions have been entertained. Some have sought to trace them to the *Collegia* of the Romans, while others have attributed their rise to the social and religious necessities of the middle ages. It is probable that both these influences contributed to their formation. The *Collegia* were associations of persons for various purposes, such as the exercise of a trade, the performance of religious rites, or the burial of the dead. These associations were recognized by the Roman law, and possessed certain privileges. When the Roman empire fell, and the social order was broken up, these *Collegia* may have disappeared, but the idea of association for mutual aid and protection remained.