WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -A merchant has extensive contacts all over the country while a weaver lacks it. A merchant buys cheap cloth from the weaver and sells it at a higher rate. A weaver is completely dependent on the merchant for his raw material needs.

Detailed explanation-2: -The traders usually travelled in caravans and formed guilds to protect their interests. There were several such guilds in South India from the eighth century onwards-the most famous being the Manigramam and Nanadesi.

Detailed explanation-3: -These associations involving merchants, traders and artisans were called Shrenis.

Detailed explanation-4: -Craft towns were the towns that were founded by the craftsmen. Craftsmen were of a different kind, therefore, when the craftsmen of a specific craft settled at a place and practiced their occupation for a long time their settled places came to be known as crafts town.