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Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners
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27/05/2021 1:40 pm
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How do the names of different textiles tell us about their history?
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27/05/2021 1:41 pm
- European traders first saw fine cotton cloth from India in Mosul in present-day Iraq. They referred to all finely woven textiles as “muslin”.
- Portuguese first came to India in search of spices and landed in Calicut on the Kerala coast in south-west India. They took back cotton textiles to Europe, along with the spices. They named it “Calico”. Subsequently Calico became the general name for all cotton textiles.
- Many other words point to the popularity of Indian textiles in Western markets.
- The pieces included printed cotton cloths called Chintz, (5fe), Cossaes (or Khassa).
- Bandanna is a brightly coloured and printed scarf for the neck or head. This term was derived from the word “Bandanna” (Hindi for tying).
- Other clothes were known by their place of origin: Kasimbazar, Patna, Calcutta, Orissa and Charpoore.
- The widespread use of such words shows how popular Indian textiles had become in different parts of the world.