Manigiramam, or manigramam, typically refers to a medieval merchant guild organized by itinerant ethnic Indian traders, primarily active in southern India.
Along with the
ainurruvar (the Ayyavole Five Hundred) and the
anjuvannam (the anjuman), the manigiramam played a significant role in the commercial activities of the region.
Unlike the anjuvannam, which was confined to the port-towns of southern India, the manigramam operated in both port towns and hinter-land trade centers.
A body of merchants known as "the Vaniggrama" or "Vaniyagrama" is attested in northern India as early as the first century BCE.
They are mentioned in a Karle inscription (first century BCE), a charter of king Vishnusena from
Kathiawad (6th century CE), and in a
Sanjeli charter of king
Toramana
Toramana also called Toramana Shahi Jauvla ( Gupta script: π’πππ«πΈπ‘ ''To-ra-mΔ-αΉa'', ruled circa 493-515 CE) was a king of the Alchon Huns who ruled in northern India in the late 5th and the early 6th century CE. Toramana co ...
(6th century CE).
Records of the activities of the manigiramam in southern India can be traced back to the 5th century CE. The earliest references appear in two copper plate grants from south Karnataka (from
Melekote,
Tumkur
Tumkur, officially Tumakuru, is a city and headquarters of Tumakuru district in the Karnataka state of India. Tumkur is known for Siddaganga Matha. Tumkur hosts India's first mega food park, a project of the ministry of food processing. The Ind ...
and from
Hassan district
Hassan is one of the districts of Karnataka, 31 districts of Karnataka, India. The district headquarter is Hassan, Karnataka, Hassan. It was part of ''Manjarabad Faujdari'' between 1832-81 (Mysore Commission, Commissioner's Rule of Mysore). In ...
), both datable to the 5th century CE.
The Melekote charter records a grant of land to a
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
shrine.
The
Quilon Syrian copper plates
The Kollam (Quilon) Syrian copper plates, also known as the Kollam Tarisappalli copper plates, or Kottayam inscription of Sthanu Ravi, or Tabula Quilonensis (c. 849 CE) are a copper plate grant issued by Ayyan Adikal, the chieftain of Kollam, c ...
from the 9th century CE also attest to the presence of manigiramam representatives.
By this time, it appears that the manigiramam had become involved in maritime trade and had begun collaborating with the
anjuvannam (the anjuman) on the western coast.
A Tamil inscription from
Takua Pa (9th century CE) in
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
also references a manigiramam guild.
From the early 10th century onward, the
ainurruvar (the Ayyavole Five Hundred) emerged as the dominant merchant guild in southern India. The manigiramam and the
anjuvannam were later incorporated into this larger organization. By the 12th century CE, the ainurruvar functioned as an umbrella organization encompassing all other merchant guilds.
The manigiramam was fully subordinated to the Ayyavole by the 13th century.
[{{Cite book , last=Singh , first=Upinder , title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India , date=2024 , publisher=Pearson , isbn=978-93-570-5618-2 , edition=2nd , pages=1593-94 , orig-year=2008]
See also
*
Ainurruvar (the Ayyavole Five Hundred)
*
Anjuvannam (the Anjuman)
*
Greater India
Greater India, also known as the Indian cultural sphere, or the Indic world, is an area composed of several countries and regions in South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia that were historically influenced by Indian culture, which itself ...
*
History of Indian influence on Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia was in the Indian sphere of cultural influence from 290 BCE to the 15th century CE, when Hindu-Buddhist influences were incorporated into local political systems. Kingdoms in the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent had esta ...
References
Society of India
Guilds in India
Economic history of India
Indian merchants