Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c18.s4.t2.2

v2.c18.s4.t2.2

The account of guilds, especially in the Karṇāṭaka and the adjoining regions, centres round the name Vira-Baṇaja. Dr. Fleet remarked thus on the name: "Baḷañja is another form of 'baṇaṅju' or 'baṇañja', the modern 'baṇañjiga', 'baṇajiga' or 'baṇijiga', which must be the original of, or a corruption of, the Sanskrit 'bāṇija, bāṇijika' merchant, trader. 'Baṇajiga' is a division of the Liṅgāyats; and 'Virabaṇajiga', or in old Canarese 'Viravaṇiga', means a strict Baṇajiga."[¹] One of their most powerful strongholds was Baḷḷigrāme. An inscription dated A.D. 1093-4 of the times of the Western Chāḷukya Vikramāditya the Great, gives us the following interesting details about a guild of Baḷḷigrāme: