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material, and distribute the finished product. Then shrenis of merchants organised the
trade. Shrenis also functioned as banks, where rich people deposited their money. This was

invested and part of the interest was returned or used to support religious institutions such
as monasteries.

Black colour pottery Northern Black polished ware
rules for spInnIng and WeaVIng

These rules are from the Arthashastra. They describe spinning and weaving could be done
in workshops under the supervision of a special official.

Widows, young women who are differently abled, nuns, mothers of courtesans, retired

women, servants of the king, women who have retired from service in temples, may be
used for processing wool, bark, cotton, hemp and flax.

They should be paid according to the quality and quantity of work.

Women, who are not permitted to leave their homes, can send maid servants to bring the

raw material from the superintendent and take the finished work back to him.

Women, who can visit the workshop should go at dawn to give their work and receive their
wages. There should be enough light to examine the work. In case, the superintendent
looks at the woman or talks about anything other than work, he should be punished.

case study

KAveripAttinAm (tAmil nAdu)

The Sangam texts provide us the information about the city of Kaveripattinam or Puhar.

This city is situated on the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu at the entrance point of river
Kaveri into the Bay of Bengal. The big ships used to brought the merchendise goods from
distant places and entered the port without any hard effort.

According to the texts, the markets of Kaveripattinam were surrounded by platforms.
These platforms have tall mansions over them made up of wide hallways and corridors.

68 Social Studies-6