Year: 2019 | Month: March | Volume 8 | Issue 1
A Study on Historical Analysis of Murshidabad Silk Industry at Nawab’s Reign (1717-1757)
Abstract:
The word used in India ‘Silk and cocoon’ is in ancient Sanskrit literature indicates that India had a kind of silk-worm in very ancient time. From the philosophical evidence with of silk-worm in very ancient time. From the philosophical evidence with reference to silk thread in Mahabharata, the ‘Ramayana’ and the ‘laws of Manu’ it can be said that silk industry existed in India since before the Christian era. Various accounts of the history of silk in India claim that silk weaving in Bengal existed from ancient times. Records show that the silk weavers of Murshidabad were operating in 18th century when Nawab Murshid Quli Khan (1717-1727) shifted the capital of the Dewanee of Bengal from Dhaka, now in Bangladesh, to a new capital he built on the east bank of the River Bhagirathi and named Murshidabad. Murshidabad is famous for its cowdial saris made of fine mulberry silk with flat, deep- red or maroon borders made with three shuttles. The borders are laced with fine serrated design in gold zari. Murshidabad silks are also popular for hand-printed designs and other materials which are also printed with wooden blocks. Calcutta and Serampore in the Hooghly district are the main textile hand-printing centres in West Bengal. In this study we are trying to know the golden era of Silk industry at Murshidabad and the price of silk,business and patronized by Nawab’s reign on this industry and also the farmer’s condition. Once silk goods of Murshidabad were exported to the different countries of the world. In sixteenth century Murshidabad exported its silk product to the coasts of East Africa, Arabia, Turkey, Syria and other Countries (Majumdar, M. 2017).
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