The Rashtrakutas and their Times c22.95

c22.95

An inscription from Dambal states that a guild of the locality had its own umbrellas and *chauris*.⁶⁶ The umbrellas and *chauris*, which this guild was using in 1095 A.D., were obtained by a royal charter from Jagadekamalla (c. 1018-1040 A.D.) It would thus appear that some of the bigger guilds used to receive royal charters determining their powers and privileges. The above record further describes the Dambal guild as the lord of Aihole, the best of towns. This may perhaps show that some of the big guilds were often entrusted by the state with the government of towns and cities. The reason for such a step may have been the loans advanced to the state by the guild banks; as a security for these loans towns like Aihole may have been handed over to the creditor guild by the debtor state. Maintenance of troops was a natural corollary of the overlordship of towns and cities; members of guilds must have either formed or officered their own militias, otherwise it would be difficult to justify their description in the Dambal and Kolhapur records as 'persons whose breasts were embraced by the goddess of perfect impetuosity and bravery'. It may be pointed out that the Mandsor inscription, belonging to the middle of the 5th century A.D., also describes some of its members as experts in archery, and bold in forcibly uprooting the enemy in battle. (67) Another reason why guilds had to maintain their own militias was to safeguard their goods, while being transported from one place to another. From Tavernier we learn that in the Muslim period each cart in the caravan had to be protected by four soldiers, each of whom had to be paid Rs. 4 a month. (68) Similar precautions may have been necessary in our period as well, and the maintenance of a militia would have reduced the expense of keeping the mercenary force, besides adding to the dignity and prestige of the corporation. In this connection we should not forget that even village communities in our period used to maintain their own militias. (69)