Question

Define guilds. Discuss their organization and functions.

Answer 1

Europe. In many European countries guilds have experienced a revival as local organizations for craftsmen, primarily in traditional skills. They may function as forums for developing competence and are often the local units of a national employer's organisation.

Answer 2

A group of tradespeople made up of merchants, craftspeople, or artisans, particularly in the Middle Ages.

Merchant guilds were associations of all or most of the merchants in a particular town or city; these men might be local or long-distance traders, wholesale or retail sellers, and might deal in various categories of goods.