Watch: How Hindu Temples Historically Functioned As Banks And Facilitated Trade

Looking at India’s history form a non-colonial angle, economist Sanjeev Sanyal takes us back in time from a non-Delhi centric view of our past.

In this video that looks at India’s forgotten maritime history, he delves into the structures that were allowing this trade to go back and forth. The real facilitators of trade beyond the ‘heroic traders who were putting their life and money on line, to make these voyages,’ were the guilds, almost like companies - and not just caste based ones, that functioned like but multinational companies.

And a key player in this system were temples - which were financing this trade. Going beyond the general impression of how the temples were funded by royalty and hence turned into treasure troves, Sanyal looks at the pivotal role play that these temples played as banks and facilitated finance for these trade guilds.