History • Medieval IndiaHard
Consider the following statements regarding the maritime trade and commercial guilds operating in medieval Tamil Nadu under Chola supremacy: 1. Powerful merchant guilds such as the 'Ayyavole' (Five Hundred Swami) and 'Manigramam' controlled extensive long-distance domestic and overseas trade networks spanning Southeast Asia and China. 2. The Chola state maintained a powerful navy that secured the Bay of Bengal, enabling safe commercial navigation and successful naval expeditions against the Srivijaya Empire. 3. Foreign merchants operating in coastal emporiums were subjected to arbitrary confiscation of goods without legal recourse or royal protection.
A. 1 and 2 only✓ Correct Answer
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
💡 Solution & Explanation
Medieval South Indian commerce was highly organized through autonomous merchant guilds like Ayyavole and Manigramam, which operated trading outposts across South India and overseas territories. The imperial Chola navy under Rajaraja I and Rajendra I turned the Bay of Bengal into a Chola lake, subduing maritime threats and protecting commercial shipping lanes. Statement three is false because Chola monarchs actively encouraged foreign trade and provided royal charters, security, and legal protections to merchant communities in port cities like Nagapattinam and Mahabalipuram to maximize customs revenues.
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