Shrenis Guilds of Ancient India

uilds of Ancient India - The Shreni Philosophy
Imagine a pre-Mauryan marketplace. Merchants hawk their wares as

you move past blocks of things on sale - spices, stones, cloth, animals. In
the higher recesses of the market, groups of people sit huddled together,
similar not in appearance, but in purpose.
Source
Ancient India had some of the most intricate social systems and well-
framed social networks that we’ve known for centuries. They had a deep
understanding of how to arrange interactions in such a way that all those
involved would be benefited at large. It is in this ancient knowledge that
they forged the concept of a ‘Shreni’ or a guild.
What is a ‘Shreni’?
Wikipedia defines it as - “Shreni, in the context of Ancient India, was an
association of traders, merchants, and artisans. Generally, a separate
shreni existed for a particular group of persons engaged in the same
vocation or activity.”
Structure:
Typically, these groups were egalitarian. They worked in the interest of
the people in it.
However, there were positions within a Shreni, made to ensure its
smooth functioning.
1. The General Assembly: The ancient Jataka stories say that there
were anywhere between 100-1000 members in one guild. All
members that practised the same profession and banded together
constituted this Assembly.
2. The Guild Head - ‘Jetthaka’ or ‘Jyeshtha’: Early Buddhist
literature points us to a Head-like figure called the ‘Jetthaka’. This
person was referred to by their occupation - for example, 'head of
garland makers' (malakara jetthaka), 'head of carpenters' guild'
(vaddhaki jetthaka) and so on. The Guild Head had considerable
power in the structure. They could punish, banish, and fine
members of the guild for wrongdoings. Usually, the position went
to an experienced member of the guild.
3. Executive Officers: Apart from the head, there were officers that
handled day-to-day affairs of the guilds. The number of officers
varied, depending on the needs of the members.
At first glance, guilds seem like an adornment - an entity created to
showcase a sort of superficial unity of economics. Once I had the
opportunity of probing further, I discovered that there is much more to
this simple organization than meets the eye. The most comprehensive
study of ancient Indian guilds to my knowledge has been done by K.K.
Thaplyal.
An interesting section in Indian history that Thaplyal looked at was the

decline of these guilds. How could these structures - seemingly so
beneficial for all those who are involved - be wiped out completely? The
answer lies in state control. Towards the beginning of the Mauryan
period, the authorities or the state started influencing more and more
control over trade and commerce. People who were forming these guilds
on their own, suddenly found that the structures put in place by the state
were hampering their workings. The Mauryan period, in particular,
shifted towards central control. This model was obviously incompatible
with the guilds.
Perhaps such a situation is seen even today - where groups of artisans do

not fit into the consumerism of the modern economy. Perhaps state
intervention is falling short today too, making it tough for artisans and
workers to work sustainably and to their benefit. Even as Indian
Handlooms are celebrated not just in our country, but across the world,
we still see that the sector itself has artisans who are unable to cope with
the demands of the economy. Such questions plague us at Shrenis, and
thus, our work goes into understanding how we can help in addressing
them.
The complex layering of the system which had interplay and

inclusiveness has become scary for an outsider, but also for urbanites.
This system is teetering on the brink of total extinction. It is only
through participation and appreciation of the crafts that we can hope to
rebuild them.
The Shreni Factor

How fitting that from a culture so ancient came such strong ideas of
socio-economic structures. Even more fitting for me that my
organization follows these ideas.
Our founder, Sudhir Kamath, gave a lot of thought into the process of
coming up with Shrenis. “The ancient guild system still has vestiges in
our indigenous industries, which are occupational communities. This is
evident by the names of the Upajatis, which are based on these
occupations; for example, the Padmashalis, the Devanga community -
that are still into weaving. Similar examples are Vishwakarmas,
Kumharas, and so on. The social structure that existed earlier still guides
a lot of the behaviour of these communities. “
At Shrenis, our work is aimed at bringing back the kind of consolidated

economic strength and sustainability that we saw in our namesake. In
our work with communities, we rely on the experience of ‘Jyeshthas’ -
the elders who have faced situations that far outnumber and outweigh
our experience in the field. We learn from their expertise, becoming
conduits to use this knowledge to the benefit of the community itself.
In conversations with my seniors, what struck the most was a wish to

bring back the organizational expertise of the artisans themselves. What
the ancient Indians did through their Shrenis is essentially give
themselves power over their work in a way that is most profitable to
them. Our efforts are along the same lines - of bringing back structures
that were built for the sole purpose of empowering the ones that need
them the most. It’s like Sudhir always says - “The identity and sense of
respect that these occupational groups used to feel - that’s what we need
to bring back, and that’s what we will bring back.”
Communities Going Virtual - The WhatsApp Angle

Even as you read this article, there are a hundred notifications buzzing
on the phones of the entire Shreni team. Each buzz is a message from an
artisan, a buyer, reseller, a supplier, a worker, or one of the many other
roles that we deal with every single day. As we work with a jumble of
data on the lives, products, stories, and activities of our members, Nithin
(our senior associate) works quietly behind the scenes to streamline all
of it. His quest is to integrate technology and various platforms with our
work such that our artisans can come together, and discuss their work as
a community. These people populate WhatsApp groups that are created
according to professions - handloom weavers, powerloom weavers,
wood inlay artisans, carpenters, woodcarvers etc. all have their own
groups to exchange information in.
How does it work?

The Shreni idea was simple - create spaces where people of the same
occupation can exchange knowledge about their craft and trade freely.
This knowledge transfer is based on the ancient Indian model of trade
guilds. We wanted to emulate the kind of community organization that is
seen almost naturally in all these occupational groups. Each occupation
or craft has its own group - for example, we have a group only for
handloom weavers and those associated with handloom weaving. Here,
daily discussions include designs, reselling, government policies or aid,
announcements, and calls for supplies. It’s like an ecosystem in its own
right - a confluence of almost all the cogs in the demand-supply chain
coming together in one (virtual) space. New members of Shrenis
(artisans/workers) are welcomed to the family by being added to the
groups of their respective professions. These groups become the focal
point of discussions surrounding the tools of the trade - no matter what
the trade is.
Why WhatsApp?
In my conversation with Sudhir Kamath, our founder, the genesis of our
social organization was clearer to me. “The plan is actually to build a
Shreni platform. However, the availability of WhatsApp for the people,
the way it is ubiquitous, present across age groups and occupations was
its advantage. Sure, it has its own limitations - for example, the 250-
member limit on groups, and the fact that groups cannot interact with
each other - but it serves our purpose for now with its presence across all
our demographics."
Another interesting feature of the platform that makes it so viable for

artisans is the ‘WhatsApp For Business’ features. The platform has
introduced additions like catalogues that are of great interest to our
members. A catalogue on WhatsApp means that they have control over
what they wish to sell in the retail market, as well as the ease of
constantly updating it to reflect the change in their stocks. We’re hoping
to inform our members about these features, so they can use it as a new
marketing channel for their own. This would shrink the supply chain,
and give the maximum benefit to the artisans themselves.
A theme that seems to come up frequently in all my discussions with

Sudhir is his fundamental approach to the task of connecting people or
forming communities. He calls it “sociology before technology”.
Commenting on this, he says, “What we’re trying to do is first define the
‘real-world’ issues. It’s our conscious decision to build communities on-
ground first, and then see what key features are required, or what
problem statements arise from the ground. Then we can address these
issues using tech that’s already common.” It’s one less artificial barrier
for the artisans working with us if they find themselves on WhatsApp
groups with other members of the trade. Already, a large majority of
these people carry out bits and pieces of their occupation on WhatsApp.
At Shrenis, we’re simply pushing the boundaries of the kind of

interactions that can happen. Our plan is to develop a platform that
incorporates the good features of WhatsApp but also overcomes its
limitations. We plan on introducing an integrated platform where one
can plug in other social networks and response systems, as well as
broaden the range of communication as per our needs.
WHY
1. Social Identity
2. Platform
3. Community
4. Sense of Belonging
1: Reinstating a sense of social identity that allows people to gain status
and recognition in society.
2: A platform to showcase one's work and talent with fellow members,

and attract potential clients, increasing one's livelihood opportunities
exponentially.
3: Connect with like-minded people with similar values and beliefs, that
allows a sense of community to develop.
4: A sense of belonging in a professional and social space where you

can be heard, helped and rewarded by fellow members.

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uilds of Ancient India - The Shreni Philosophy

Imagine a pre-Mauryan marketplace. Merchants hawk their wares as

An interesting section in Indian history that Thaplyal looked at was the

Perhaps such a situation is seen even today - where groups of artisans do

The complex layering of the system which had interplay and

The Shreni Factor

At Shrenis, our work is aimed at bringing back the kind of consolidated

In conversations with my seniors, what struck the most was a wish to

Communities Going Virtual - The WhatsApp Angle

How does it work?

Another interesting feature of the platform that makes it so viable for

A theme that seems to come up frequently in all my discussions with

At Shrenis, we’re simply pushing the boundaries of the kind of

2: A platform to showcase one's work and talent with fellow members,

4: A sense of belonging in a professional and social space where you

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