(Tur and Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 248:1; Sefer Hassidim 911, 914, 195).
We must remember that Jewish communities functioned as semi-independent units within the broader community in which they existed, whether Christian or Muslim . The Gentile state always considered this as the simplest way to deal with this minority. There were no objections to such legislation or to the prohibition of hoarding export in times of need,(Shulhan Arukh Hoshen Mishpat 231:20;(B.B. 90b; Yad Hil. Mekhirah 14:5, 8; Shulhan Arukh Hoshen Mishpat 231.24, 26) or cornering the market. The distribution of essentials could be mandated in times of need(B.M. 11:27). The legislation took many economic factors into consideration, always with an eye toward ensuring the basic needs of the community."
Towns and larger jurisdictions also regulated associations of merchants or crafts and their pricing agreements as they could affect the living expenses of the general population. This system depended on a well organized Jewish community and often on the permission of the non-Jewish ruler to establish it along with its personnel(Pinkas Medinat Lit# 741(1629) dealt with such a system.'?
When price controls were ineffective or could not be enforced, other methods were used by communal leaders to curtail later abuses, though recognized as second best.