Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s19: 4.16 Trade
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s19
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Contents
- c23.s19.t1 4.16.1 The merchant guild — 3 parts
- c23.s19.t2 4.16.2 Merchants and traders — 1 part
- c23.s19.t3 4.16.3 Commodities of trade — 2 parts
4.16 Trade
4.16.1 The merchant guild
c23.s19.t1.1
Two inscriptions at Mangulam (Nos. *3* & *6*, ca. 2nd century B.C.) refer to the merchant guild *nikama* (< Pkt. nigama) at *veḷ-aṟai* (Veḷḷaṟai) identified with the modern village of Vellarippatti near Mangulam. The members of the guild, *nikama(t)tōr*, acting collectively, carved the numerous stone beds found in one of the caves at this site.
c23.s19.t1.2
A pottery inscription from Kodumanal,¹ known as a place of manufacture of gems and weapons, reads *ni kā ma* (*nikama*) indicating that merchant guilds were established at several industrial and trade centres in ancient Tamil country.
c23.s19.t1.3
¹ Y. Subbarayalu, Catalogue of Pottery Inscriptions from Kodumanal 1996 (unpublished): No. 88.
4.16.2 Merchants and traders
c23.s19.t2.1
Merchants trading in various commodities figure as donors in the inscriptions at Alagarmalai (Nos. *39*, *42*, *43* & *46*, ca. 1st century B.C.) and Pugalur (Nos. *69* & *70*, ca. 3rd century A.D.). The variants *vaṇikaṉ* / *vāṇikaṉ* 'merchant, trader' found in these inscriptions are also attested in early Tamil works and in later Tamil inscriptions. The merchants who made the endowments at Alagarmalai are stated to be from *mattirai* (read *matirai*), the Pāṇṭiya capital (Madurai). One of the merchants referred to in the Pugalur inscriptions hailed from *karu-ūr* (Karur), the Cēra capital. As mentioned earlier, the merchant classes in the Tamil country were supporters of the Buddhist and Jaina religions.
4.16.3 Commodities of trade
c23.s19.t3.1
The commodities traded by the merchants mentioned in the inscriptions at Alagarmalai and Pugalur are as follows:
c23.s19.t3.2
| (i) | *aṟuvai* | : | 'cloth' |
| (ii) | *u(p)pu* | : | 'salt' |
| (iii) | *eṇṇai* (LT *eṇṇey*) | : : | 'oil' |
| (iv) | *koḻu* | : | 'ploughshare' |
| (v) | *pāṇita(m)* | : | 'gur' (unrefined sugar, molasses) |
| (vi) | *poṉ* | : | 'gold' |