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Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu

May 05, 2023

The Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavole were a merchant guild from Aihole that provided trade links between trading communities in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. They have been mentioned in inscriptions from the 9th century CE.[1] Aihole was formerly a major city of the Chalukyas of Badami and a place with many temples and brahmans, some of whom seem to have become involved in the trading activities of the Five Hundred.[1] But most of the Ayyavolu Lords were merchants, especially those engaged in long-distance trade. Their inscriptions between the 9th and 14th centuries record their endowments made to temples and throw light on their trading activities or commodities.[1]

The Five Hundred guild, known as Ayyavole in Kannada, Ayyavolu in Telugu, Aryarupa in Sanskrit, and Ainuruvar in Tamil, operated in Southern India and Southeast Asia. They became more powerful under the Cholas.[2] They were protectors of the Veera-Banaju-Dharma, that is, law of the heroic or noble merchants. The Bull was their symbol which they displayed on their flag; and they had a reputation for being daring and enterprising.[3]

Description

The following passage on the guild of Ayyavolu merchants is taken from an inscription dated 1055 CE and summarises their activities and commodities:[4]

Famed throughout the world, adorned with many good qualities, truth, purity, good conduct, policy, condescension, and prudence; protectors of the vira-Bananju-dharma [law of the heroic traders], having 32 veloma, 18 cities, 64 yoga-pithas, and asramas at the four points of the compass; born to be wanderers over many countries, the earth as their sack,....the serpent race as the cords, the betel pouch as a secret pocket,... by land routes and water routes penetrating into the regions of the six continents, with superior elephants, well-bred horses, large sapphires, moonstones, pearls, rubies, diamonds,...cardamoms, cloves, sandal, camphor, musk, saffron and other perfumes and drugs, by selling which wholesale or hawking about on their shoulders, preventing the loss by customs duties, they fill up the emperor's treasury of gold, his treasury of jewels, and his armoury of weapons; and from the rest they daily bestow gifts on pundits and munis; white umbrellas as their canopy, the mighty ocean as their moat, Indra as the hand-guard of their swords, Varuna as the standard bearer, Kubera as the treasurer,...

Origin and activities

The Five Hundred were an itinerant group that became a community because of their operations.[5] In comparison to other guilds, they were considered the most flamboyant. Together with another guild of merchants called Manigramam, the guild of Five Hundred were found in ports and commercial centres. They endowed temples, fed Brahmans, and contributed to the maintenance of irrigation works. Their inscriptions dot the entire southern peninsula, tracing an inter-regional and international network of merchants. Some of these merchants were called "nanadesi" (or "of many countries), while some were called "swadesi" (or "of own country"). These traders were one of the conduits for transporting Indian culture to Southeast Asia.[6]

Evidences show that the erection of temples and mathas depended upon royal patronage and mercantile guilds like Ayyavolu, Nakaramu and Komatis who supported temple building activity. Similarly temple building activity also depended upon guilds of architects or the Acharyas of the Vishwakarma-Kula who also seem to have organised themselves into guilds based on geographical divisions.[7]

Veera-Balanjas

The lords of Ayyavolu were called Vira-Balanjas. The term Vira-Balanja in Kannada and Vira-Valanjiyar in Tamil, Vira-Balija/ Balija Chetty/ setty in Telugu, all of them mean "valiant merchants".[8] These merchants styled themselves as protectors of Vira Balanja Dharma (Vira Balanja Dharma Pratipalanulu) and often figured in the inscriptions of medieval Andhra.[9] There are several epigraphs available on the Veera-Balanjas. One example is an epigraph of 1531 CE from the Anilama village of Cuddapah, which refers to the grant of certain toll-income (Magama) on articles of trade, such as cotton, yarn, cloth, etc., made by the Veera-Balanja merchant guild of Ayyavolu, for the lamp-offerings of God Sangamesvara of that village.[10]

Copper-plate inscriptions of Nellore mention that the organisation of Ayyavola, or Ayyavola-enumbaru-swamigalu were the protectors of the Vira-Balanja dharma (aka Vira-Bananja dharma) and followed the Vira-Banaja-Samaya.[11] According to an inscription dated 1240 CE found at Chintapalli in Guntur district, the Vira-Balanja Samaya (a trade corporation) consisted of Ubhayananadesis, the Kavarai's, and the Mumuridandas; and they were the recipients of five hundred hero edicts.[12] Of these, the Ubhayananadesis were a unit of merchants derived from all quarters and countries, consisting of Desis, Paradesis and Nanadesis, while the Kavarai is a Ancient Tamil Clan Name derived from their Traditional Occupation 'Conch' Cutting and doing different Ornaments.

Some trade guilds were based on religious identities, such as the Nakaras (a guild) which was a body of Nagara Komati devotees of Nakaresvara and the Kavarai Vinainar which was a body of craftsmen from Tamil clan Valaiyar [13] The Mummuridandas were warriors first and merchants next. An inscription of 1177 AD from Kurugodu, Bellary explicitly states that the Mummuridandas were an offshoot of the 'Five Hundred' who were eminent in Aryapura, that is, Aihole or Ayyavole (srimad aryya nama pura mukhyabhutar enip ainurvarind adavid anvay ayatar).[14] Trade corporations like Vira-Balanja-Samaya flourished under various empires despite wars and invasions.[15]

In Tamil sources

A fragmentary Chera inscription datable to 1000 CE in the reign of Bhaskara Ravi, found on three broken stones in a mosque in Pandalayini-Kollam (near Kozhikode), refers to Valanjiyar and other merchants found in the assembly of Ayyavole-500 trade guild.[16] The Ayyavole-500 were simply called Ainuruvar in Tamil.

In Visakhapatnam, three inscriptions were found, two in Telugu and one in Tamil. They were on the Ainuttava-perumballi (500 perumballi) in Visakhapatnam and dated to 1090 CE under the reign of the Ganga king Anantavarmadeva.[17] Another Telugu inscription records a similar grant to the same Ainuttava-Perumballi by the Chief Mahamandaleshvara Kulotungga Prithvisvara. The inscriptions suggest that the Anjuvannam people were patronized by the Ayyavole-500 guild and even treated as members of that guild.[18]

It would seem that when the Ayyavole-500 guild became a big overreaching guild of Southern India, most of the existing indigenous and local trade guilds became associated with it. The Manigramam and nanadesi guilds joined the Ayyavole-500. Due to the various Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia and the support provided by the Cholas to the Ayyavole guild, the Ayyavole guild emerged as a maritime power and continued to flourish in the kingdom of Srivijaya (a dominant thalassocratic city-state based on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia). This is well documented in an inscription of the Ayyavole guild of the year 1088 AD found in Barus of West Sumatra, Indonesia. South Indian merchants were also active in Burma and the Thai peninsula.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c A History of India, by Burton Stein and David Arnold, p.120
  2. ^ Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa: reflections on Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia by Hermann Kulke, K. Kesavapany and Vijay Sakhuja, p.xviii and p.181
  3. ^ Peranakan Indians of Singapore and Melaka: Indian Babas and Nonyas--Chitty Melaka, by Samuel Dhoraisingam, p.3
  4. ^ A History of India, by Burton Stein and David Arnold, p.121
  5. ^ A History of India, by Burton Stein, p. 126
  6. ^ A History of India, by Burton Stein and David Arnold, p.121
  7. ^ Art of South India, Andhra Pradesh, by B. Rajendra Prasad, p.85
  8. ^ Encyclopaedia Indica: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Volume 100, by SS Shashi, p.86
  9. ^ Studies in economic and social conditions of medieval Andhra, by K.Sundaram, p.69-76
  10. ^ Hindu and Muslim religious institutions, Andhra Desa, 1300-1600, by Ravula Soma Reddy, p.110
  11. ^ The quarterly journal of the Mythic society (Bangalore), Volume 82, p.88-91
  12. ^ A study of the history and culture of the Andhras, Volume 2, by Kambhampati Satyanarayana, p.52
  13. ^ Cultural heritage of the Kakatiyas: a medieval kingdom of south India, by S.Nagabhushan Rao, p.59
  14. ^ Brahma sri: Researches in archaeology, history, and culture in the new millennium : Dr. P.V. Parabrahma Sastry felicitation volume, Volume 1, p.169
  15. ^ A study of the history and culture of the Andhras, Volume 2, by Kambhampati Satyanarayana, p.125
  16. ^ Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa: reflections on Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia by Hermann Kulke, K. Kesavapany and Vijay Sakhuja, p.163
  17. ^ Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa: reflections on Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia by Hermann Kulke, K. Kesavapany and Vijay Sakhuja, p.164
  18. ^ Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa: reflections on Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia by Hermann Kulke, K. Kesavapany and Vijay Sakhuja, p.165
  19. ^ Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa: reflections on Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia by Hermann Kulke, K. Kesavapany and Vijay Sakhuja, p.10-12 [1]

May 05, 2023
five, hundred, lords, ayyavolu, five, hundred, lords, ayyavole, were, merchant, guild, from, aihole, that, provided, trade, links, between, trading, communities, tamil, nadu, karnataka, andhra, pradesh, they, have, been, mentioned, inscriptions, from, century,. The Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavole were a merchant guild from Aihole that provided trade links between trading communities in Tamil Nadu Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh They have been mentioned in inscriptions from the 9th century CE 1 Aihole was formerly a major city of the Chalukyas of Badami and a place with many temples and brahmans some of whom seem to have become involved in the trading activities of the Five Hundred 1 But most of the Ayyavolu Lords were merchants especially those engaged in long distance trade Their inscriptions between the 9th and 14th centuries record their endowments made to temples and throw light on their trading activities or commodities 1 The Five Hundred guild known as Ayyavole in Kannada Ayyavolu in Telugu Aryarupa in Sanskrit and Ainuruvar in Tamil operated in Southern India and Southeast Asia They became more powerful under the Cholas 2 They were protectors of the Veera Banaju Dharma that is law of the heroic or noble merchants The Bull was their symbol which they displayed on their flag and they had a reputation for being daring and enterprising 3 Contents 1 Description 2 Origin and activities 2 1 Veera Balanjas 2 2 In Tamil sources 3 See also 4 ReferencesDescription EditThe following passage on the guild of Ayyavolu merchants is taken from an inscription dated 1055 CE and summarises their activities and commodities 4 Famed throughout the world adorned with many good qualities truth purity good conduct policy condescension and prudence protectors of the vira Bananju dharma law of the heroic traders having 32 veloma 18 cities 64 yoga pithas and asramas at the four points of the compass born to be wanderers over many countries the earth as their sack the serpent race as the cords the betel pouch as a secret pocket by land routes and water routes penetrating into the regions of the six continents with superior elephants well bred horses large sapphires moonstones pearls rubies diamonds cardamoms cloves sandal camphor musk saffron and other perfumes and drugs by selling which wholesale or hawking about on their shoulders preventing the loss by customs duties they fill up the emperor s treasury of gold his treasury of jewels and his armoury of weapons and from the rest they daily bestow gifts on pundits and munis white umbrellas as their canopy the mighty ocean as their moat Indra as the hand guard of their swords Varuna as the standard bearer Kubera as the treasurer Origin and activities EditThe Five Hundred were an itinerant group that became a community because of their operations 5 In comparison to other guilds they were considered the most flamboyant Together with another guild of merchants called Manigramam the guild of Five Hundred were found in ports and commercial centres They endowed temples fed Brahmans and contributed to the maintenance of irrigation works Their inscriptions dot the entire southern peninsula tracing an inter regional and international network of merchants Some of these merchants were called nanadesi or of many countries while some were called swadesi or of own country These traders were one of the conduits for transporting Indian culture to Southeast Asia 6 Evidences show that the erection of temples and mathas depended upon royal patronage and mercantile guilds like Ayyavolu Nakaramu and Komatis who supported temple building activity Similarly temple building activity also depended upon guilds of architects or the Acharyas of the Vishwakarma Kula who also seem to have organised themselves into guilds based on geographical divisions 7 Veera Balanjas Edit The lords of Ayyavolu were called Vira Balanjas The term Vira Balanja in Kannada and Vira Valanjiyar in Tamil Vira Balija Balija Chetty setty in Telugu all of them mean valiant merchants 8 These merchants styled themselves as protectors of Vira Balanja Dharma Vira Balanja Dharma Pratipalanulu and often figured in the inscriptions of medieval Andhra 9 There are several epigraphs available on the Veera Balanjas One example is an epigraph of 1531 CE from the Anilama village of Cuddapah which refers to the grant of certain toll income Magama on articles of trade such as cotton yarn cloth etc made by the Veera Balanja merchant guild of Ayyavolu for the lamp offerings of God Sangamesvara of that village 10 Copper plate inscriptions of Nellore mention that the organisation of Ayyavola or Ayyavola enumbaru swamigalu were the protectors of the Vira Balanja dharma aka Vira Bananja dharma and followed the Vira Banaja Samaya 11 According to an inscription dated 1240 CE found at Chintapalli in Guntur district the Vira Balanja Samaya a trade corporation consisted of Ubhayananadesis the Kavarai s and the Mumuridandas and they were the recipients of five hundred hero edicts 12 Of these the Ubhayananadesis were a unit of merchants derived from all quarters and countries consisting of Desis Paradesis and Nanadesis while the Kavarai is a Ancient Tamil Clan Name derived from their Traditional Occupation Conch Cutting and doing different Ornaments Some trade guilds were based on religious identities such as the Nakaras a guild which was a body of Nagara Komati devotees of Nakaresvara and the Kavarai Vinainar which was a body of craftsmen from Tamil clan Valaiyar 13 The Mummuridandas were warriors first and merchants next An inscription of 1177 AD from Kurugodu Bellary explicitly states that the Mummuridandas were an offshoot of the Five Hundred who were eminent in Aryapura that is Aihole or Ayyavole srimad aryya nama pura mukhyabhutar enip ainurvarind adavid anvay ayatar 14 Trade corporations like Vira Balanja Samaya flourished under various empires despite wars and invasions 15 In Tamil sources Edit A fragmentary Chera inscription datable to 1000 CE in the reign of Bhaskara Ravi found on three broken stones in a mosque in Pandalayini Kollam near Kozhikode refers to Valanjiyar and other merchants found in the assembly of Ayyavole 500 trade guild 16 The Ayyavole 500 were simply called Ainuruvar in Tamil In Visakhapatnam three inscriptions were found two in Telugu and one in Tamil They were on the Ainuttava perumballi 500 perumballi in Visakhapatnam and dated to 1090 CE under the reign of the Ganga king Anantavarmadeva 17 Another Telugu inscription records a similar grant to the same Ainuttava Perumballi by the Chief Mahamandaleshvara Kulotungga Prithvisvara The inscriptions suggest that the Anjuvannam people were patronized by the Ayyavole 500 guild and even treated as members of that guild 18 It would seem that when the Ayyavole 500 guild became a big overreaching guild of Southern India most of the existing indigenous and local trade guilds became associated with it The Manigramam and nanadesi guilds joined the Ayyavole 500 Due to the various Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia and the support provided by the Cholas to the Ayyavole guild the Ayyavole guild emerged as a maritime power and continued to flourish in the kingdom of Srivijaya a dominant thalassocratic city state based on the island of Sumatra Indonesia This is well documented in an inscription of the Ayyavole guild of the year 1088 AD found in Barus of West Sumatra Indonesia South Indian merchants were also active in Burma and the Thai peninsula 19 See also EditTrade Guilds of South India Anjuvannam ManigramamReferences Edit a b c A History of India by Burton Stein and David Arnold p 120 Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa reflections on Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia by Hermann Kulke K Kesavapany and Vijay Sakhuja p xviii and p 181 Peranakan Indians of Singapore and Melaka Indian Babas and Nonyas Chitty Melaka by Samuel Dhoraisingam p 3 A History of India by Burton Stein and David Arnold p 121 A History of India by Burton Stein p 126 A History of India by Burton Stein and David Arnold p 121 Art of South India Andhra Pradesh by B Rajendra Prasad p 85 Encyclopaedia Indica India Pakistan Bangladesh Volume 100 by SS Shashi p 86 Studies in economic and social conditions of medieval Andhra by K Sundaram p 69 76 Hindu and Muslim religious institutions Andhra Desa 1300 1600 by Ravula Soma Reddy p 110 The quarterly journal of the Mythic society Bangalore Volume 82 p 88 91 A study of the history and culture of the Andhras Volume 2 by Kambhampati Satyanarayana p 52 Cultural heritage of the Kakatiyas a medieval kingdom of south India by S Nagabhushan Rao p 59 Brahma sri Researches in archaeology history and culture in the new millennium Dr P V Parabrahma Sastry felicitation volume Volume 1 p 169 A study of the history and culture of the Andhras Volume 2 by Kambhampati Satyanarayana p 125 Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa reflections on Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia by Hermann Kulke K Kesavapany and Vijay Sakhuja p 163 Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa reflections on Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia by Hermann Kulke K Kesavapany and Vijay Sakhuja p 164 Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa reflections on Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia by Hermann Kulke K Kesavapany and Vijay Sakhuja p 165 Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa reflections on Chola naval expeditions to Southeast Asia by Hermann Kulke K Kesavapany and Vijay Sakhuja p 10 12 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu amp oldid 1152679825, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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