Making of Merchant Chiefdoms in Early Medieval Kerala: Aspects of Political Economy

The article has, as its basic source, three royal charters of the ninth- to thirteenth-century period from Kerala. The royal need for precious metals to issue currency alone explains the rulers’ anxiety to give concessions to merchants engaged in overseas trade. The article examines how this policy was conducted and how far it was successful. Inscriptions form our major source for the period thirteenth century, and these form the main source for the following study.