Chola Maritime Trade Guilds

Timeline

1. c. 1000–1150Thanjavur and Nagapattinam · Tamil NaduDuring the Chola golden age, guilds at ports such as Nagapattinam and Kollam obtained tax-exemption and autonomy privileges, and cooperated with the Chola fleet to open Southeast Asian markets; inscriptions of the Ainnurruvar guild are found along the Indian Ocean coast.
2. 1181–1190Ports of the Coromandel Coast · Bay of BengalIn the 1180s, as Chola central authority weakened and Pandya and Hoysala power rose, guilds such as Manigramam still maintained trade with Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia through their existing networks, relying on local port autonomy and cross-community contracts.
3. c. 1200–1300Kollam and local ports · IndiaAfter the Chola Empire became defunct in the early 13th century, merchant guild activities dispersed among local ports, renegotiating trade privileges with the rising Pandya and later Vijayanagara powers.