Who controlled the Medieval Merchants?

Answer 1

In the Middle Ages, merchants were controlled by guilds.

From early on, merchants banded together to control prices, quality of goods and services, and who could buy and sell in their markets. The organizations they formed were called guilds. Originally, they usually were formed of merchants or tradesmen who were in the same line of business, though in small towns they might have been merchants or tradesmen in general.

In some places, the guilds formed organizations of guilds and took over operation of the governments of towns or cities. They might have restricted their activities to just a part of the government, or they might have taken over the whole thing and operated as a republic. These towns and cities were called communes.

And even larger organizations were formed from the towns and cities, as they were able to enter into treaties and unite. The largest of these was the Hanseatic League, which had its own military and rivaled nations in power.

Regardless, the merchants had to obey the rules of the organization they belonged to.

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