What were traders called in the middle ages?
Merchants. Merchants in the middle ages were business people who participated in retail and trade. The medieval merchant was seen as both a trader and trafficker of wares across countries. The middle ages merchant sourced for his products during his travels and would then sell them in markets and shops or at fairs.
Merchants were those who bought and sold goods, while landowners who sold their own produce were not classed as merchants. Being a landowner was a "respectable" occupation.
Several traders from different parts of the world such as the Chinese, Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch, English and French traders reached India in the medieval period. These traders sold Indian commodities to their home countries at a huge profit.
Under the King, there were nobles, clergy, and peasants. Merchants were not included in this class system and were of lower status than peasants. They were thought to be very greedy and only concerned with gaining personal wealth. They would practice usury, or charging interest, in order to make more money.
Important goods included wool, salt, timber, beer and wine. At the same time, trade with the East was mostly in imports since these regions had their own native agricultural classes. The real impact of the new trade routes were to increase trade across Europe.
Merchants. Merchants in the middle ages were business people who participated in retail and trade. The medieval merchant was seen as both a trader and trafficker of wares across countries. The middle ages merchant sourced for his products during his travels and would then sell them in markets and shops or at fairs.
Occupational surnames cover all the common occupations of Mediaeval Europe: agricultural, manufacturing and retail with surnames like Bacon (pork butcher), Baker, Brewer, Cheesman, Cooper, Fisher, Fletcher (arrowmaker), Gardiner, Glover, Ironmonger, Kellogg ('kill hog' a pork butcher), Mason, Miller, Slater, Spicer, ...
Larger towns and cities, of course, had especially numerous and diverse tradespeople. There were tailors, drapers, dyers, saddlers, furriers, chandlers, tanners, armourers, sword makers, parchment makers, basket-weavers, goldsmiths, silversmiths and, by far the biggest industry sector, all manner of food sellers.
guild, an association of craftsmen or merchants formed for mutual aid and protection and for the furtherance of their professional interests. Guilds flourished in Europe between the 11th and 16th centuries and formed an important part of the economic and social fabric in that era.
Most manufacture of any product had a guild connected to it in the medieval era. Cobblers, fletchers, saddlemakers, bridle makers, scriveners, carpenters, tanners, etc. The most interesting trade that there was always demand for and that a commoner could achieve a relatively high amount of wealth were locksmiths.
Is a merchant a peasant?
Merchants are people who are traders, so it is an occupation. Peasant was a social class, the lowest one, and was made up of people who did not have land or possessions. A peasant could be a merchant, in a small way, but a merchant was not necessarily a peasant, in fact some merchants were well off.
Difference between Trader and Merchant
A trader is a person who makes a living by purchasing goods and selling them for a profit. A merchant works in retail or owns a retail business that sells goods.
The social classes of the middle ages consisted of the upper, middle, and lower classes. Within the upper class were kings/monarchs, nobles, knights, and clergy. In the middle were merchants, doctors, and lower clergy. The lower class consisted of peasants/serfs.
Early trade largely focused on luxury goods like precious metals, spices, and fine textiles, but eventually, as transportation by ship became faster, more reliable, and cheaper, even mundane items like olives and fish paste were exported across great distances.
The wholesale traders were known as 'seth' or 'bohra' and the retail traders were known as 'beoparis' or 'banik. ' In south India, the community 'chettis' formed the trading class. Besides, there was a special class, 'banjaras,' who specialized in the trading.
It is important to understand royal income. The crown's main source of income was the land which belonged to the king, his demesne. Good estate management and grants of market rights to towns could increase this income, and special privileges over, for example, fishing, could be sold.
synonyms: bargainer, dealer, monger.
General Merchants were called Mercers. The Mercers were later restricted to a dealer in textile fabrics, as silks or woollens. The Middle Ages saw the rapid expansion of Medieval trade and commerce in Europe.
From around the 8th until the 15th centuries, Venetian traders ran a virtual monopoly on trading with the Middle East and Asia. Materials including silk, herbs, spices and drugs travelled from South Asia over the Indian Ocean to the Middle East, where merchants transported them overland to Europe.
The word 'merchant' is believed to be derived from the Latin word "mercari meaning to traffic and the French word "mercis" meaning wares. A Medieval merchant would often travel and traffic with foreign countries; a trafficker; a trader.
What are the old names for trades?
- Accomptant - Accountant.
- Almoner - Giver of charity to the needy.
- Amanuensis - Secretary or stenographer.
- Artificer - A soldier mechanic who does repairs.
- Bailie - Bailiff.
- Baxter - Baker.
- Bluestocking - Female writer.
- Boniface - Keeper of an inn.
A trade name is the name your business is commonly known as or the name you use when advertising or doing business. A trade name is also called a DBA (doing business as) name.
Peasants, Serfs and Farmers
Lords owned the serfs who lived on their lands. In exchange for a place to live, serfs worked the land to grow crops for themselves and their lord. In addition, serfs were expected to work the farms for the lord and pay rent.
The main difference between serf and peasant is that peasants were free to move from fief to fief or manor to manor to look for work. Serfs, on the other hand, were like slaves except that they couldn't be bought or sold. Above peasants were knights whose job it was to be the police force of the manor.
Guilds are defined as associations of craftsmen and merchants formed to promote the economic interests of their members as well as to provide protection and mutual aid. As both business and social organizations, guilds were prolific throughout Europe between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries.
