The Age of the Imperial Guptas c6.38.1

c6.38.1

The deeds of transfers of land on the Damodarpur plates brings us to another interesting subject, ordinary civil contracts. The seals discovered by Bloch at Vaisali contain 274 specimens bearing the legend, *Śreṣṭhi-Sārtthavāha-Kulika-Nigama*, which was correctly translated by the discoverer as “the corporation of bankers, traders (*and*) merchants.” These seals are found in combination with two, three or even four others. In these cases the same lump of clay bears two three or even four impressions. The word *Nigama* means a corporation or guild and the name is to be found as early as the first century B.C. on Guild-tokens described by Cunningham.¹ But in the Nasik cave inscription of the year 42 and 45 the terms used for guilds are *Śreṇī* and *Nikāya*. It should be noticed that the same inscription also contains the word *Nigama-sabhā* which was been translated by Senart as "the town's hall."² In the case of a Bharhut inscription Lüders translates the same term as a town.³ But it is extremely difficult even to conceive a town of merchants, traders and bankers only. *Nigama-sabhā* seems to have corresponded to the Guild-Halls of Modern Europe. The interest attached to the seals of this corporation of merchants, traders and bankers lies principally in their occurrence jointly with seals of other officials and private persons. In the majority of cases one separate seal contains an invocation to some deity;