• Amarnath Ramakrishna. K
• Dr. V. Marappan

The urban fabric of pre-colonial Madurai was shaped by intersecting forces of royal authority, sacred ritual, and commercial vitality. Within this landscape, the Sourashtra community - historically known as the Pattunulkarar or “silk-thread people” - emerged as a distinctive collective whose linguistic and cultural persistence challenges static conceptions of caste and identity in South Asia. This paper interrogates the formation of Sourashtra identity during the Madurai Nayak kingdom (c. 16th–18th centuries), arguing that it was not a primordial inheritance but a product of political economy. Through monopolies in silk and fine cotton production, guild-based organization, and a symbiotic relationship with the Nayak state, the community institutionalized its socio-cultural distinctiveness and secured a prominent civic presence. By reframing Sourashtra identity as an artifact of occupational specialization and economic strategy, this study contributes to broader debates on migration, material culture, and the dynamic constitution of collective identities in pre-colonial South India.

"THE WEAVER'S LOOM AND THE MERCHANT'S SCALE: SOURASHTRA IDENTITY FORMATION THROUGH GUILDS AND OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALIZATION IN PRE-COLONIAL MADURAI", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 1, page no.c769-c772, January-2026, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2601293.pdf

"THE WEAVER'S LOOM AND THE MERCHANT'S SCALE: SOURASHTRA IDENTITY FORMATION THROUGH GUILDS AND OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALIZATION IN PRE-COLONIAL MADURAI", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 1, page no. ppc769-c772, January-2026, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2601293.pdf