The Pashmina Wraps - A Journey from Kashmir to Asia & Europe
The anecdote of Pashmina wraps unfolds in the hinterland of Ladakh - the region of breathtaking landscapes and beautiful vistas. From lush green valleys to rocky mountains, snow-clothed peaks to robust glaciers, from fresh blue lakes to the famous rainbow mountains, Ladakh is a scenic wonderland that intrigues all your senses. It is only when you visit this place, you realize why nature chose Pashmina to reveal its essence in this heavenly land. And perhaps there couldn't be any other place on the earth so fresh and natural, to encompass the delicacy of the fabric as impeccably as Ladakh did.
Ladakh is the highest plateau of India. The mighty Himalayan mountains are over 6000 metres above sea level. And that is where the exotic Changthangi goat or Capra Hircus inhabits. This goat grows the finest cashmere. It is the Changthang region of Ladakh where herders rear these goats for their fine wool, which grows on their undercoat. People believe that if this goat were to be reared outside the parts of Ladakh, it won't produce wool with the same fineness. A minute change in temperature and altitude would affect the diameter and hence the quality of a Pashmina wrap. It is worthy to mention here that it takes three such exotic goats to weave one single Pashmina wrap.
What's not to love about the cherished fabric of Pashmina. After all, there is this one fabric that has stood the test of time, and that too since 300 BC. But how did we get this luxury fabric in the first place? Who discovered Pashmina? Who went all the way up to 6000 metres and discovered the Changthangi goat? Where did it all begin? Let's find out.
History of Pashmina Wraps
Pashmina comes from the root word “Pashm” which literally translates to “soft gold”. And perhaps this was the major attribute of Pashmina which made it world-famous. Within no time, Pashmina was the most prized possession of nobles, royals, and the richest people across the globe. The Pashmina shawl has an illustrious and glorious past. And since then, never has the Pashmina wrap lost a tad in its exquisiteness and grace.
The weaving of fine Pashmina shawls in Kashmir gets mention in various ancient texts. In fact, it can be traced back to the second century BC. Shawls finely woven in Kashmir find mention even in ‘The Book of Han’ which was composed in around 111 CE. It gives a quick gist of the lifestyle of the then Kashmiri people, and their adeptness to craft shawls. The shawls crafted in Kashmir found special places in the royal courts of Caesar and Nero.
Pashmina Wraps and Kashmir
While some parts of the world were already in love with the meticulous art of making Pashmina wrap, it wasn't until the 15th century that the word “Pashmina” came up. From 1418 - 1470, Zain ul Abideen, who people called Budshah (great Ruler), ruled Kashmir. It was him, who people believe to have founded the Pashmina wool making in Kashmir.
In addition to this, legend has it that a Sufi Saint Mir Syed Ali Hamdani came to Kashmir from Persia along with 700 craftsmen. He stopped at Ladakh, where he discovered the Changthangi goat. He used their soft wool to craft socks for King Zain ul Abideen. The king, impressed by the quality of the fabric, decided to set up processing units for the same.
Around the late 15th century, Kashmir was under Mughal rule (the 1580s to 1750s). The then Emperor Akbar also admired Pashmina art and took a keen interest to improvise its manufacturing units, as he took over. It was at this time when artisans introduced embroideries. Even now one can see the influence of Mughal culture over embroidered motifs. Designs like Shah Pasand (Emperor’s choice) and Buta Mohammed Shah (Muhammed Shah’s flower), both are named after the Mughal emperors.
And There's More
In his autobiography Tuzk e Jahangiri, emperor Jahangir defines Pashmina wrap as his favourite piece of clothing. The then cloth dealers, realizing its worth, brought large quantities of raw wool from Ladakh to Kashmir. Weaving Pashmina reached its zenith and superior quality at that time. Some say that one can twist 1.5 square yards of Pashmina and pass it through a finger-ring.
The Pashmina wrap saw a huge boom during the Mughal patronage. The emperors of Iran and the Mughals used to exchange Pashmina wraps as gifts. Rulers used Pashmina to establish hierarchical relationships between the giver and the taker as its acceptance would mean submission. They called these shawls ‘khilat’ meaning ‘robes of honour’ which were embroidered in gold threads.
Members of the Mughal royal court used large quantities of the Pashmina shawl between the 16th and mid 19th centuries.
Pashmina Wraps and Europe
A new fashion fabric entered the European markets in the second half of the 18th century. It was exceptionally soft, unusually warm, feathery light, and smooth as silk. In addition to all these qualities, this fabric features such intricate patterns that Europeans had never seen or produced before. This product was the Kashmiri shawl - which artisans crafted from fine Cashmere. And there was something that the Europeans admired as much as the shawl itself - the Paisley motif embroidered over it. This blend of an aesthetically pleasing fabric with a luxurious appeal and an intricately handmade motif got Europeans swooning. These properties made the Kashmiri shawl a must for art patrons and affluent Europeans. In fact patronage by Empress Josephine of France and after her Queen Victoria further strengthened the fame of the Kashmiri shawl
By the end of the 19th century, Kashmir had already started trading shawls with the west. Some Europeans even though copied Kashmiri Pashmina Wraps, and did pretty well in their markets. Such was the passion that this shawl aroused in their hearts. In the next 500 years, one could see Kashmiri shawls in every market of Europe with heavy sales. Its production and style soon changed in order to adapt to local needs and likes.
Kashmiri Shawl: What and How?
Kashmiri shawl is an accessory that people wear in winters around the shoulders and neck to keep warm. The temperatures dip too low here in the valley because of which people keep a stock of warm apparel and accessories before winter even arrives. Pure wool, Cashmere, and Shahtoosh or ‘Tus’ (which is banned now) all contribute in the making of Kashmiri Shawls. Cashmere is the raw wool of a goat from the Changthang area. These are the Changthangi goats or Cashmere goats. Tus on the other hand was the most exclusive kind of wool which came from the Chiru goat (called stos in Ladakhi). Its down hair is the finest of all fibres the world has ever witnessed. The diameter of one Shahtoosh fibre is between 7-10 microns only. However, there was a ban on Shahtoosh due to hunters unethically hunting the Chiru (Tibetan Antelope).
Kashmir saw a monopoly in supplying these Pashmina wraps or Shahtoosh wraps all over the world. These goats and the conditions where herders bought them up, were not available anywhere else in the world. Hence Kashmir was the only supplier of Cashmere and Shahtoosh with demand always exceeds the supply. These materials have always been difficult to synthesize or even substitute. It was this luxurious rendezvous of a distinctive weaving method and the exceptionally fine wool which were responsible to produce an opulent fabric.
Also read: Why is Shahtoosh banned?
Copying of Pashmina
As the popularity of the Kashmiri shawl rose to great heights in the 1800s in Europe, it led to 'copying' and 'faking' the original one. Even though the copies found many enthusiastic buyers, it could never actually be a competition for pure shawls
This was the period when buyers called Pashmina "Cashmere". The word Cashmere is the 18th-century spelling of ‘Kashmir’ named after the hometown of Pashmina. European and American firms used the word Cashmere to distinguish between Pashmina and locally manufactured shawls and fabrics. Some manufacturers produced imitations of Kashmiri shawls and used the word Cashmere to sell their own products.
Nevertheless, Cashmere is the raw wool that artisans handcraft to produce luxury Pashmina shawls and scarves.
The Paisley Motif (Buta)
Buta, is also famous as Paisley in Europe. It is a teardrop shape motif that has archaic origins. Paisley became one of the most well-known patterns in the history of textiles. Paisley over Pashmina wraps existed in the Mughal period. But in this period, people called this motif 'Buta'. It is later when the Europeans imitated and modernized it, and called it Paisley. Paisley is a town in West Scotland that became the most well-known imitator of the Buta motif, hence the name.
The Buta motif became a topic of discussion among historians regarding its origin. Some say it resembles the Cypress trees from Pre Islamic Iran while local Kashmiris called it Badum (Almond) due to some resemblance. Nevertheless, Europeans added more floral elements and other decorative arts around it and kind of upgraded it to match their local needs. They reintroduced the shawl with ‘their kind of Buta motif’ and called it Paisley which had major differences from the actual Buta. It was more stylized and less natural as it had a large influence on not only European but Iranian and Indian art.
It is said that till the 1800s, the Kashmiri shawl featured patterns just over the borders of a shawl. But with interferences and upgrades from Europe, the shawl now featured embroidery patterns all over the base. Europeans took cues from Iranian carpets and wanted the shawls to have a similar appearance. Hence, European dominance of the shawl in the west and in Kashmir itself started showing in the mid-1800s and led to the development of the Paisley pattern, dissolving forever the natural Buta.
Also read: Kashmiri shawl and the Paisley
Kashmiri Shawls in Europe
It is a very well-known fact that the Kashmiri shawl came to Europe when Napoleon gave his wife Josephine a fine piece of the same. Supposedly, Napoleon had gone for an invasion and on his way back, he discovered the fine Pashmina wraps somewhere. He picked one and could not resist buying it for Empress Josephine. Being a figure of sophistication and a wearer of the finest apparel, Josephine purchased hundreds of the same and set these types of shawls into a timeless fashion.
While this is the most common view of how Kashmiri shawls came to Europe, another view is that shawls came to Europe through the British in the later 1700s, when they ruled in the Indian subcontinent, most likely the East India Company. Officials of the British would send Pashmina Wraps as gifts to rulers of the Mughal empire and vice-versa. When returning to their own countries, these officials would take Kashmiri shawls as gifts to their wives and family members. With more and more popularity, yet a high price, European nations attempted replicas of the same shawls in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Then only high officials and aristocratic women afforded original Kashmiri shawls.
Europeans and the manufacturing of Pashmina Wraps
The main issue that Europeans would face to make original Pashmina wraps was a lack of raw material. Their desperation to acquire Cashmere goats was clearly evident in the First Sikh War of the 1840s when as a part of the Treaty of Amritsar, Gulab Singh was to offer twelve Cashmere goats annually.
Prior to this, Britishers had once tried to secure a population of Cashmere goats for England and took two batches - one of the male goats and another of females - in two different ships. The females never made it to England and the males couldn't find a suitable environment to grow the fine Pashm. Hence Kashmiri retained the monopoly of producing fine Cashmere made Pashmina wraps.
Europeans could produce the same Kashmiri shawls. A Kashmiri shawl needs the patience of the weaver. It is time-consuming, meticulous, and in fact, a painstaking process to make a Kashmiri shawl. In Kashmir, a weaver took years together to complete one shawl, which the Europeans found hard to follow. Kashmiri weavers used a simple loom that just held the warp stiff and the weaver inserted wefts with complete freedom. But European looms were not of this typical design, and therefore became a major hindrance to produce pure Kashmiri shawls.
Pashmina Wrap loses originality
The popularity of Cashmere in Europe proved slightly detrimental to the originality of the shawl. Since demand was much more than the supply, Kashmiri artisans innovated new techniques and designs with the great involvement of Europeans. British administrators and French designers took charge of the shawl making in Kashmir. They directed the local efforts towards fulfilling the demands of foreign customers. There began variations in the original Kani shawl. Kani making was known as Kanikar. It was high in price and took a lot of time to complete. But now Kashmiris innovated the Tilikar and Amlikar which produced more outfits and less value. These two innovations still were popular in Europe because of the same ‘apparent’ look and affordable prices.
The best attempt of copying the Kashmiri shawl came from the Paisley town of Scotland. Paisley became the very first weaving centre to use the Jacquard loom which employed around 5000 people. The loom did try producing ‘paisley’ fabric which obviously wasn't possible. It resulted in a fabric evidently inferior and of poor quality.
The Fall of Kashmiri Shawl
From around the 1850s, several factors contributed to the decline in the popularity of the Kashmiri shawl and its European copies
- Firstly there were some type of apparel which could be worn in combination with Kashmiri shawls. But as trends changed, these apparel got outdated dissolving the need of a Kashmiri shawl.
- The Franco-Prussian war was a major one in Europe which led to the disruption of trade between India and Europe. This even led to a detrimental loss in Kashmir’s economy which had by then grown independent. Kashmir experienced a famine in 1870 as the major population were shawl makers only.
- A huge demand and practically no supply led Europeans to manufacture their own version of machine made Pashmina wraps to meet extensive demands. Some weavers fled to other countries whilst pushing Kashmir into the ‘dark age’. People believe that Kashmir never did recover from this loss.
- In the early 1900s, Paisley was survived by other apparel over which it began surfacing. Etro in Milan became one of the most prominent fashion houses to reintroduce Paisley to runways. Etro had a collection of 19th century shawls - Kashmiri as well as European - and thus, had a clear idea of what Paisley meant. Hence it included the motif in its fashion lines and became closely associated with the original motif.
Pashmina Wraps in Iran, West Asia and Russia
Kashmiri shawls have been famed since time immemorial, owing to their quality as well as design sensibilities. The picturesque vales of this region have produced some of the most stunning masterpieces in the form of richly embroidered shawls. These are famous throughout the world. It may come as a surprise though that there is not much documentation of the Kashmiri shawl in the early 1700s. Especially around foreign trade. Abul Fazal in his Ain-i-Akbari writes,
“Many kinds of Pashmina are beautifully produced, especially the shawl that is exported as a rare and luxury trade item to many countries.”
He added,
“Under the sway of his Imperial Majesty … is the secure and happy abode of many nationalities, including natives of Iran and Turkestan as well as Kashmir.”
If we analyze the two statements, it comes across that some if not everyone from Iran and Turkestan was in Kashmir in the 1580s. The primary reason was to commission and buy Kashmiri shawls. Besides, later in the 1630s, Portuguese missionary and traveller, Manrique, wrote,
“Great trade is done in Cassimir and Laor with the kingdoms of Kandahar, Corazane and Iran,”
and 30 years later, Bernier asserts the same thing that the Kashmiri shawl production
“particularly promotes the trade of the country and fills it with wealth.”
These texts do suggest that in the 18th century, the Kashmiris were involved in mercantile activity, just like Armenians and Jews. In the 1720s, there were Kashmiri colonies in Tibet and also in Kathmandu in Nepal. It all drives home the point that Kashmiri shawls are a part and parcel of their enterprising nature.
Journey through Iran
Previously, caravans spearheaded by horses and camels made their way through the dusty terrains to reach Bokhara, Meshed, Isfahan, Baghdad, and Allepo, finally entering Istanbul. At this stage, the quantities were limited and the trade sporadic. It was sometime in the mid-1700s when there are pieces of evidence to show. A French adventurer Count de Modave spent several years between 1757 and 1777. He seems to have been in India at that time, but could not visit Kashmir. However, he really admired the beauty of the Kashmir shawls sold at Delhi’s Chandni Chowk. The finest shawl was available somewhere between Rs 150 and Rs 200. It was unmatched in luxury and finesse. He added that artisans crafted the most expensive Kashmiri shawls for Turkey and Arabia.
The prices mentioned by Modave are later validated by George Foster, who visited Kashmir from 1782-83. He said,
“Ordinary shawls in Kashmir came for Rs 8, while the better ones for Rs 40 and the finest ones a little over Rs 100.”
More Trade of Kashmiri Shawls
With the rising demand for Kashmir shawls in Europe, the trend continued. According to a Kashmiri merchant in Bokhara in 1820-21, total production was of 100,000 pieces. Out of these 80,000 were exported, 60,000 to India. The remaining were exported by way of Kabul and of these 5,000 might have remained in Afghanistan, 12,000 went to Iran, and 2,000 to Russia. The total value of shawls sold in Kashmir, according to Moorcroft, was nearly Rs 35 lakh.
In the first quarter of the 1800s, Iranian and Central Asian merchants dominated trade. It was hard from Kashmir, as Moorcroft puts it. In 1831, a French botanist and geologist, Jacquemont, who was famous for his travels, asserted,
“Most of the shawls manufactured in Kashmir are purchased by a very small number of rich and respectable Iranian merchants.”
The visiting merchants spent months in Kashmir since they had to wait for long periods to get their commissioned goods. According to an observer in the 1800s, the return journey from Kashmir to Iran was arduous. There was much time spent on negotiating and commissioning their purchase. As such it took as long as three years for these shawl dealers to get a return on investment. The merchants commissioned
“Shawl goods differing as to quality and pattern in conformity to the taste of the markets for which they are intended in a degree probably not suspected by the shawl manufacturers in Europe.”
Kashmiri Shawls : A Choice of Nobles
Just like the Banarasi brocades and fine muslin that were exported, Kashmir Pashmina shawl goods were purchased only by the elites. Artisans also designed the square rumal for women. Womenfolk from Iran to Egypt folded it in a diagonal manner round their waist or shoulders or sometimes, draped it as a veil over their heads. Artisans also made Jamawar into women’s clothes in winter.
In Asia, unlike Europe, men as much as women wore the shawl. In India, specifically, admirers wore it as a shoulder mantle. Yet in other countries, the nobility wore it as a turban. Apart from its functional use as apparel, rulers gifted shawls as religious offerings as well as tomb covers. When the shrine at Karbala was plundered, the losses included 4,000 pieces of Kashmir shawl. The shawls were also a part of court ceremonies, especially on Navroz, the Iranian New Year.
Popularity in Iran
Pashmina wraps were also in high demand in Iran from the 16th to early 20th centuries. The emperors of the Safavid, Qajar, and Zand dynasties often wore fabrics made from Kashmiri shawls. Iranian emperors used Kashmiri shawls as gifts to present them as robes of honour throughout their reign. However, Iranians never used the shawls as drapes but had them tailored as well fit dresses and garments.
At one time in history, Kashmir had to compete with local Iranian Kermani shawls (manufactured in Kerman). Artisans beautifully designed these in kaleidoscopic shades. When Pashmina was about to lose this battle (because of high production and colourful designs of Kerman shawls), a German physician who lived in Iran in the 10th century defended Pashmina. He said that Persian shawls are just comparable to Kashmiri shawls in terms of design and colour. But when it comes to the finesse of weave & suppleness of the fabric, Persian shawls are too inferior comparatively
In Russia, shawls were popular as early as 1795, when artist Elisabeth Viglee Le Brun decorated her house with Pashmina wraps, of which there was no shortage in St. Petersburg. Russia was considered a crucial market for shawls of the expensive variety. The transit duty in Russia was calculated on the number of shawls, not on their value.
Pashmina Wraps in India under Mughals
Mughal aristocracy has been much spoken about for their luxurious way of life. In fact, the emperors’ wives always turned up well and stunned everyone with their beauty and grace. These women used shawls to drape themselves in the highest luxury. These nobles generally resided in urban centres, which is why the chief centres of production and marketing developed in the cities. It comes as no surprise that the hotbed of shawl manufacturing was undoubtedly Srinagar. Several thousand looms functioned during that time to craft this work of art.
During the Mughal rule, the shawl-making attained the stature of a royal production. It attained maximum growth with 40,000 looms in operation. People called these operational units karkhanas. These developed extensively during this period since they were the biggest patrons of shawl weaving.
Also read: Pashmina Embroideries | The Exquisite Craftsmanship
Patronage by the Royalty
In the royal karkhanas established by Akbar, there was a range of new designs, patterns, and colours. The Kashmir shawl attained high stature and nobles gifted it among themselves. Since the people of Kashmir have always been dependent on woollen items, it took off. But at that time, the royalty and aristocracy largely consumed it, in and outside Kashmir. The Mughal rule led to the growth of the Shawl making and also its organization.
The Mughal emperors encouraged Pashmina-making as much as they could, bringing about perfection in the weaving style. The shawl became a symbol of imperial prestige and brought about value in commercial ties, leading to commercial trade in Kashmir. After a point, it became an obsession for all the nobles to own a Kashmiri shawl. The emperors purchased these shawls in large numbers and often offered them to the subedars.
Akbar - Pashmina's biggest patron
Apart from their fondness for this delicate weave, Akbar made it mandatory for the courtiers and people of certain ranks to wear certain adornments. These were takauchiya (coat), peshwaz (a kind of open coat), and parmanaram (the Kashmir shawl). The number of women who received presents during the time of Akbar was 5,000.
When the demand for these shawls flourished and increased by the Mughal emperors, the production started to grow. After the conquest of Kashmir by Mughals, they made the shawl an imperial monopoly to cater to their own interests as well to those of the Indian and Kashmiri elite. According to Abul Fazl, besides the shawl, there were certain other activities and products that were declared imperial monopolies. In fact, an officer was appointed to take care of these karkhanas. Manucci writes, “the kings and princes keep officials ─ whose business it is to put in hand the best goods that can be fabricated in each place. With this object in view, they kept an eye continually on what was being done in that respect."
The written word
There is enough and more literature on these shawls in the Ain-i-Akbari. Abul Fazal writes, “In former times, shawls often came from Kashmir. People folded them up in four folds and wore them for a very long time. Nowadays, patrons wear them generally without folds and merely throw them over the shoulder. His Majesty has commenced wearing their double, which looks very well.”
Srinagar was the provincial capital and by default, became the natural centre of the shawl-weaving. It was considered a more beneficial occupation than agriculture. The major craft products of Kashmir were shawls and other woollen products. Fazal adds, “The woollen fabrics are made in high perfection especially shawls which are sent as valuable gifts to every clime.” The wool used for the manufacture of these shawls known as pashm was earlier produced in Turfan, Chahthan, and Tibet, and even beyond from Kashgar and Central Turkistan. In Kashmir, it was imported from Western and Central Tibet. The routes leading to these mountainous regions were traversed with much difficulty. Labourers were employed to bring the fleece from these places to the Kashmir Valley.
Words by Abul Fazl - Akbar's court historian and biographer
The Mughals also took a keen interest in improving the design sensibilities. Abul Fazl writes, “His Majesty pays much attention to various stuff – skillful masters and workmen have settled in this country to teach people an improved system of manufacture. They perfected all kinds of hair-weaving and silk-spinning.”
He added,
“His Majesty improved his department in four ways. Firstly, the hair of tus goat was used to make tus shawl. Its natural colour is black, white and red, but mainly black. Sometimes, the colour is pure white. This kind of shawl is unrivalled for its lightness, warmth, and softness. People generally wear it without altering its natural colour, his Majesty has had it dyed.
Secondly, the corded and patterned shawls (tarhdars shawls) were made of either white, black, or mixed. The white kind was formerly dyed in three colours.
Thirdly, attention was paid to the manufacture of different varieties of shawls, such as zardozi, kalabatun, kashida, qalghai, badhnun and parmanaram.
Fourthly, an improvement was made in the width of his stuff, his Majesty had the pieces made large enough to yield the making of a full dress
Loom embroidery
It is believed that loom embroidery was introduced in the 16th century, but it already existed in Persia. The Kashmir shawl was greatly influenced by the Persian style. The innovations of Mughals resulted in the manufacture of the do-shala.
Later, Jahangir in his memoirs writes, “the shawls of Kashmir to which my father gave the name of parmanaram are very famous. Another kind is taharma, it is thicker than a shawl and soft. And in Kashmir, they weave the pattu shawl from wool, and sewing two shawls together, they smooth them into a kind of saqarlat (broadcloth), which is not bad for a rain-coat.” This reflects the flourishing state of the shawl-making during Jahangir’s time.
Pashmina shawl making peaked during Shah Jahan’s rule. With the expansion of the empire, new channels of trade opened up. He gifted shawls to the rulers of Golconda and Bijapur, they were also sent to the Ottoman Empire, Safavid Empire, and Egypt.
There was a method of shawl weaving, known as Kani shawl, which became popular during the Mughal period. The famous designs textured were pashmina Kani, jora kani, qasaba kani, romal, shah pasand and jamawar. They were so fine that they could pass through a small ring.
Current Scenario
Today large amounts of Pashmina sell all over the world. However, most of them are blends of wool and silk. Some dealers soak ordinary wool wraps in fabric softeners and claim those to be Kashmiri Pashmina wraps. Nevertheless, Pashmina remains unmatched and rare. The factory produce might be perfectly made with every single stitch in order. But it is the irregularities and fine distinctions of the original Pashmina that make it the classical heritage piece that it is.
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