The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c16.2

c16.2

The existence of trade associations which grew partly for economical reasons—better employment of capital, facilities of intercourse—partly, for protecting the legal interests of their class, is surely to be traced to an early period of Indian culture. When we read in the Dharmasûtras that the agriculturists, tradesmen, cattle-breeders, usurers (kusîdin) and manufacturers have their own special laws for their class which are authoritative for the king,¹ we can infer from this with some certainty the organisation of trade and particular branches of it; in the later law-books, mention is expressly made of guilds (sreṇi). Thus, it is said in Manu VIII. 41, that the king has to examine and determine the laws of the guilds. In the epics also the guilds appear as an important factor not only of the industrial but also of the political life.²