Who found Pashmina shawls?

Pashmina shawls, handcrafted from the rich and luxurious Cashmere wool, got their name from the Persian word ‘Pashm’. Pashm translates to ‘soft gold’ in Persian. Pashmina shawls got international fame when they proved to be the softest and warmest accessories all over the world. Herders manually acquire Cashmere wool from the Capra Hircus goat. The goat inhabits at 14000 feet above sea level at Changthang, Ladakh. a type of soft and heavenly smooth wool grows on its body. Workers process it and transform it into the opulent Pashmina shawls of Kashmir. 

History of Pashmina

Pashmina shawls were once afforded only by the rich and affluent. This included kings, queens, affluent people, noblemen of the royal courts, and others from the higher section of the society. Pashmina shawls even fascinated Caesar and the French queen Maria Antoinette. The regal charm of Pashmina shawls even allured Emperor Napoleon. He, hence, gifted one to his wife Empress Josephine. The shawl impressed her too and she later ordered some 400 Kani Pashmina shawls from Kashmir. 

Origin of Pashmina

Ancient Kashmir was economically backward. There was no financial independence among people and men were usually labourers. In the 15th century, a Sufi saint came from Persia to teach Islam to the local population. This saint by the name of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani realised that people need to be financially strong in order to make this community independent and flourishing. It was him, who once travelled to Ladakh, and found Cashmere wool growing as a down coat over the body of a rare goat. This coat was of the Changthangi goat. As a defense mechanism to the harsh winter in Ladakh, it naturally grows Cashmere, as a means to survive.

The saint ordered workers to process this fine wool into a pair of socks. It was the Mughal king Zain ul Abideen who ruled Kashmir at this time. The saint gifted these socks to the king, who was highly impressed by the sheer softness and warmth it provided. This was the beginning of Cashmere wool processing in Kashmir. The king ordered workers to set up several processing units of Cashmere in the valley. Shah E Hamdan invited 700 craftsmen from Persia, on the king's order. These highly skilled artisans trained local Kashmiris in different crafts; the primary among these was the processing of Cashmere into the fabric. Artisans further transformed it into shawls, scarves, wraps, apparel, baby blankets, furnishing, and upholstery items for the royalty.

"We owe him"- say Kashmiris

Shah E Hamadan uplifted the Kashmiri society socially and economically. He brought with him not only craft experts but highly skilled technicians, engineers, and architects from different parts of the world (Persia, China, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and Russia) to Kashmir. These artists taught Kashmiris shawl weaving, architecture, agriculture, engineering, and other handicrafts, for which Kashmir became internationally famous. These were Pashmina making, carpet manufacturing, Papier-mache, wood carving, copperware, embroidery work, and more.

Also read: Pashmina Shawls for a Luxury Wedding

Making of Pashmina shawls

Ever since their discovery in Kashmir in the 15th century by Shah E Hamdan, Pashmina shawls were handmade by the trained, skilled artisans of Kashmir. Raw Cashmere wool came from Ladakh in the Spring Summer season when the goat sheds it naturally. On arrival, the Cashmere wool is in packets and is in its raw form. It is not yet fully clean or sorted. This happens in Kashmir, where womenfolk do it. 

Women from different corners of the valley come together and clean the Cashmere wool, which is full of foreign material. It consists of vegetable waste, thorns of shrubs, dust, and dirt. Women wash it thoroughly for 2 to 3 days and dip it in a rice water concoction for a few days. This makes it even more smooth and soft. It is cleaned again and now sorted as per dimensions. A few threads which are thicker in dimension are placed separately. Only the fine yarn goes into the making of a Pashmina shawl. 

Wool is stored as lumps after cleaning, ready to be handspun. Spinning begins post-cleaning, and it is again the womenfolk of the valley, who are spinners. They mount the lumps of wool onto a traditional spinning wheel and spin it to produce yarn. The yarn is just 12 to 16 microns, and hence super soft and flimsy. 

The next step is weaving the yarn into shawls. This is done by men, by mounting the yarn onto a handloom. This is a traditional Kashmiri wooden handloom, which takes a total of 3 to 4 days to transform yarn into luxury shawls or scarves. A fine solid Pashmina shawl or scarf is ready now.

Contemporary patterns in the art 

Even though Pashmina art is centuries old, it never failed to cater to the needs of the modern world. When it was discovered back in the 15th century, only solid shawls, embroidered shawls, and Kani shawls were popular. But as time went forward, the artisans realised that the shawl needed to adapt to contemporary needs. Hence Pashmina shawls were revived and patterned in in-vogue fashions. Animals prints, floral prints, checkered patterns, striped patterns, laced Pashmina shawls, customizable Pashmina shawls, and many other patterns. This way adults, as well as teenagers, could wear Pashmina shawls regularly. There are Pashmina scarves that are ideal for office use and casual day outs, and there are shawls that are perfect for weddings and as bridal accessories. Hence the art never failed to cater to the needs of any individual, irrespective of gender, age, or taste.

Centuries have passed since Pashmina art came into existence for the first time. But never ever has anyone, across the globe, claimed that the shawls are now old-fashioned and do not need to be crafted again. As a matter of fact, women of all ages, races, and temperaments crave to touch original, pure Pashmina shawls once. It was a tradition in Kashmir for women to give their daughters their own Pashmina shawls as gifts, as a part of the daughter’s trousseau. Even though hundreds of years have passed, this beautiful tradition is still followed across religions and beliefs. 

Also read: The Art of Weaving a Pashmina shawl