Corporate Organization in Ancient India — The Shreni System

Alka Maurya, Veenus Jain and Pallavi Mohanan

Chapter 14 in Fresh Perspectives on India's Organizational Dimension, 2024, pp 263-273 from World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

Abstract: This chapter explores the structure and functioning of the Shreni system in ancient India. Shreni was an association of traders, merchants, and artisans, and generally, a separate Shreni existed for a particular group of persons engaged in the same vocation or activity. The guilds regulated manufacturing standards, trade, ethical codes, prices, and the quality of crafts. The chapter discusses the welldocumented references to the existence of Shreni from the 5th century BC and how some Shreni became very wealthy with surplus resources, acting as custodians and bankers of religious and other endowments. The chapter also explores how each economic activity and craft had its own specific traditions and trade secrets, and how Shreni played a crucial role in regulating these activities. The study concludes that the Shreni system was an essential part of ancient Indian society and played a significant role in regulating the economy and society.

Keywords: Organizational Design; Performance; Organizational Learning; Digitisation; Organizational Structure; Organizational Change; Indian Organizations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L2 L22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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