Latest / The Chola Empire: How South India Dominated the Indian Ocean — Fexingo History
The Chola Empire's Tamil Merchant Guilds and Indian Ocean Trade
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the vast trade networks that made the Chola Empire a maritime superpower, focusing on the role of powerful Tamil merchant guilds like the Ayyavole and Nanadesi. They discuss how these guilds, operating autonomously across Southeast Asia, facilitated the exchange of spices, textiles, and ideas. The conversation covers the guilds' own inscriptions in South India and abroad, their complex relationships with temple institutions, and how they funded temple construction as a form of investment. Lucas also explains the guilds' unique legal status…
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