The Guild Structure in Medieval Times
The guild structure was very important in medieval times. A person could achieve a better social status in the community by joining it. Additionally, feudalism greatly promoted its membership. Being a participant could lead to a number of benefits. The Guild played a crucial part in caring for its ill members. The two major types of guilds in the guild system were the merchant guilds and the crafts guilds. However, a man had to pass through three stages before rising to the rank of top member of the medieval guild system: apprentice, journeyman, and master.
The Establishment of the Guild System
The Guild System was established for a number of purposes. For instance, the Feudalism system in the medieval era allowed the landowners and the lords to tax their trades and the town’s people. However, as trade increased the tax collected became excessive. With medieval England being run by a feudal system, it became impossible for a single person to make objections to the amount and rate of tax that was imposed by the lords. As a result, the idea of Guild was born.
The Objectives of the Guild System
The objective of the Guild system in medieval time was focused majorly on the protection of its members. Nevertheless, the consumers also benefited from the Guilds’ introduction. The system, therefore, had two purposes: protection of workers - the members and protection of consumers.
The Involvement of Guilds in Civic Duties
Furthermore, Guilds were also involved in civic duties. The members of Guild were expected to assist in the protection of the city and the town where they operated. Some of the responsibilities included policing the streets, construction of buildings and walls, and providing a city with a militia to protect the people. Similarly, the members were to maintain high moral values – fraud and usury were abolished. With religion being a significant aspect of life during this time, the Guilds were expected to finance and assist in church construction.
