| Abstract | Tamil was the lingua franca of the merchant guilds that operated in peninsular India from the 6 th to 14 th century CE. Associated with these merchant associations were communities of craftsmen such as weavers, basket-makers, potters, leather workers, and so on. Not only did these merchant associations develop powerful economic networks, but they also employed private armies. They donated regularly to temples, which were at times named after them, and also contributed to the construction of tanks. The range of their operations extended well beyond the boundaries of the Indian subcontinent into Southeast Asia and China. |