THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY OF BENARES: A STUDY OF ITS FORMATION AND GROWTH (1600-1800)
Journal Title: International Journal of Research in Social Sciences - Year 2017, Vol 7, Issue 10
Abstract
The historical writings unfold the history of textile in sundry ways. The Arthashastra of Kautilya apart from its political ideas and discussion deliberately discussed the textile of various types, which accommodate the name Ksauma (Linen) of Benares. The phenomenon of the establishment of Muslim power witnessed the great alteration of quotidian attires of the rulers, noblemen and common conglomeration. Therefore, it resulted in rechristening the Indian textile industries and provided it an accomplished dimension. The market requirement of the fancy garments within and outside India led to the immense metamorphose in weaving method of Indian textile industries. The weavers of the hallowed city of Benares could not remain unaffected by it and transformed themselves according to the bazaar demands. The seventeenth-eighteenth century marked the active involvement of the Europeans in the Indian trade. If we try to ascertain the interest of the Europeans in India, it appears that their major efforts were towards the textile trade. The noted historian John Irwin has marked that, “textiles were the foundation of Indo-European commerce.”1 This paper is an investigation into the formation and growth of the textile industry of Benares during the seventeenth-eighteenth century. Yet little work has been done in this respect. Further, this paper formulates a few questions: What kinds of stuff artisans were engaged in manufacturing? Was there production for only internal consumption? Did the decline of Mughal central machinery affected textile trade of Benares and what were its major repercussions? The paper also examines whether the intervention of English East India Company in the region of Benares was favourable for the textile industry or not? The detail of the above-mentioned questions on which the present paper is based also contributes to an understanding of a totally different scenario regarding textile production and its trade. The paper will also try to look as to how textile industry of Benares provides occupation and asylum to the weavers of other states. The epoch of Akbar as historians produced before us was a period of spreading prosperity and stability in Indian sub-continent. Moreover, it was the interest and curiosity of Emperor Akbar towards the Europeans that resulted in the improvement of Indian textile industries.2 The Ain-iAkbari of Abul Fazl Allami carried colossal information regarding the various kinds of textiles3 and steps taken by Akbar for its development. For instance- “Skillful masters and workmen have settled in this country to teach people an improved system of manufacture.”4 This state of development had also been opening new vent to the textile industry of Benares. During Akbar’s time, Benares was engaged in producing cotton textiles like jhona and mihirkul, one of the categories of Khasa muslin.5 Further, production of the article by the weavers of Benares had been increasing during Jehangir’s period as Pelseart a Dutch factor at Agra reported that includes-turban6, girdle, gangazil7 and other varieties of textiles.
Authors and Affiliations
Tabinda Anjum
Keywords
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