His101

Presentation

Section: 2
Group No: 3
Faculty:
Prof. Sharif Uddin Ahmed,PhD

Group Members & Number

1. Shoumik Rahman Mehedy (1310350642)
2. Md. Shahria Rabbi (1310677630)
3. Arafat Mahbub (1310141030)
4.Abdullah-Al-Noman (1310316030)
5.Md. Ahsan Sayeed Nabeal (1230816630)
6.Sadman Bin Omor (1310444630)
7. Iftekhar Shuvo

Presentation Topic

Muslin Clothes

Introduction
Muslin is acotton fabricof plain weave. It is made in a wide
range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting.
Muslin was a brand name of pre-colonial Bengal textile,
especially of Dhaka origins. Muslin was manufactured in the
city of Dhaka and in some surrounding stations, by local skill
with locally produced cotton and attained world-wide fame as
the Dhaka Muslin.
In 2013, the traditional art of weavingJamdanimuslin in
Bangladesh was included in the list ofMasterpieces of the Oral
and Intangible Heritage of HumanitybyUNESCO.

A woman in Dhaka clad in fine Bengali muslin, 18thcentury

Origin of the word Muslin:

The origin of the word Muslin is obscure; some say that the
word was derived from Mosul, an old trade centre in Iraq,
while others think that Muslin was connected with
Musulipattam, sometime headquarters of European trading
companies in southern India.
Muslin is not a Persian word, nor Sanskrit, nor Bengali, so it is
very likely that the name Muslin was given by the Europeans
to cotton cloth imported by them from Mosul, and through
Mosul from other eastern countries, and when they saw the
fine cotton goods of Dhaka, they gave the same name to
Dhaka fabrics.

Contd.
That the name Muslin was given by the Europeans admits of
little doubt, because not only Dhaka cotton textiles, but cotton
goods imported by the Europeans from other parts of India like
Gujrat, Golconda, etc were also called Muslin.

Historical Background of
Muslin:
The textile industry of Bengal is very old. Bengal cotton fabrics
were exported to the Roman and the Chinese empires and they
are mentioned in Ptolemy's Geography and the Periplus of
the Erythraean Sea, and by the ancient Chinese travellers.
But Dhaka Muslin became famous and attracted foreign and
transmarine buyers after the establishment of the Mughal
capital at Dhaka. The Muslin industry of Dhaka received
patronage from the Mughal emperors and the Mughal nobility. A
huge quantity of the finest sort of Muslin was procured for the
use of the Mughal emperors, provincial governors and high
officers and nobles.

Contd.
In the great 1851 Exhibition of London,
Dhaka Muslin occupied a prominent place,
attracted a large number of visitors and the
British Press spoke very highly of the
marvelous Muslin fabrics of Dhaka.

Uses
Dress-making and sewing: Whensewingclothing,
adressmakermay test the fit of a garment, using an inexpensive
muslin fabric before cutting pieces from expensive fabric.
Shellac polishing: Muslin is used as a French polishing pad.
Culinary: Muslin can be used as afilter. Beekeepersuse muslin
to filter melted beeswax to clean it of particles and debris.
Theater and photography: Muslin is often the cloth of choice
for theater sets
Medicine: Surgeons use
muslingauzeincerebrovascularneurosurgeryto wrap
aroundaneurysmsor intracranial vessels at risk for bleeding

Different types of cotton for making

Muslin:
The finest sort of Muslin was made of phuti cotton, which was
grown in certain localities on the banks of the Brahmaputra
and her branches. The other kinds of cotton called bairait and
desee were inferior and were produced in different parts of
Dhaka and neighbouring areas; they were used for
manufacturing slightly inferior and course clothes.
The persons connected with the manufacture of cloth, from
the cleaner to the maker of thread and the person who did the
actual weaving, belonged to a family of weavers, or if the
family was small two to three families joined together to
manufacture the cloth.

Different types of Muslin:

1. Malmal: The finest sort of Muslin was called Malmal, sometimes
mentioned as Malmal Shahi or Malmal Khas by foreign travellers. It
was costly, and the weavers spent a long time, sometimes six
months, to make a piece of this sort. It was used by emperors,
nawabs etc. Muslins procured for emperors were called Malbus Khas
and those procured for nawabs were called Sarkar-i-Ala.
The Mughal government appointed an officer, Darogah or Darogah-iMalbus Khas to supervise the manufacture of Muslins meant for the
emperor or a nawab. The Malmal was also procured for the diwan and
other high officers and for JAGAT SHETH, the great banker. Muslins
other than Malmal (or Malbus Khas and Sarkar-i-Ali) were exported by
the traders, or some portion was used locally.

Cond.
2. Jhuna was used by native dancers.
3. Rang was very transparent and net-like texture.
4. Abirawan was fancifully compared with running water.
5. Khassa was special quality, fine or elegant.
6. Shabnam was as morning dew.
7. Alaballee was very fine.
8. Tanzib was as the adorning the body.
9. Nayansukh was as pleasing to the eye.
10. Buddankhas was a special sort of cloth.
11. Seerbund used for turbans.
12. Kumees used for making shirts.
13. Doorea was striped.
14. Charkona was chequered cloth.
15. Jamdanee was figured cloth.

Manufacturing areas of
Muslin:
Weaving was prevalent in the Dhaka district in almost every village,
but some places became famous for manufacturing superior quality
of Muslins. These places were Dhaka, SONARGAON, Dhamrai,
Teetbady, Junglebary and Bajitpur. Dhaka does not need
introduction, it is the same place where the capital stands now.
Sonargaon is now in Narayanganj district, it was once the capital of
Sultan FAKHRUDDIN MUBARAK SHAH and his son (1338-1353), and
again capital of ISA KHAN in the Mughal period; Dhamrai is still an
important place on the Bangshi river, about 20 miles west of
Dhaka. Teetbady is a village in the Kapasia thana of Gazipur
district.

Contd.
Junglebary is now in the district of Mymensingh on the eastern
bank of the river Brahmaputra; Bajitpur, 15/20 miles away
from Junglebary is also in Mymensingh district; Junglebary was
for long a residence of the family of Isa Khan.
These places manufactured fine quality cloth, because they
were situated near the places where cotton suitable for
manufacturing Muslins was produced. These were also the
places where the headquarters of ruling dynasties, Muslim or
Hindu, were established. So the weavers of these places got
support and encouragement from the aristocratic class.

National and International Markets

for Muslin:
Dhaka Muslin was in great demand in the national and
international markets. The traders were active at Dhaka. Local
businessmen procured the cotton goods from the ADANGs or
manufacturing stations and sent them to Dhaka, where foreign
buyers were ready with cash in hand.
The foreign traders came from far-off countries like Arabia,
Iran, Armenia, in the west, and China, Malaya, Java in the east.
Some traders were busy in inter-provincial trade, while others
sent the Muslin to countries outside India.

Cond.
The Dutch set up their factory at Dhaka in 1663, the English in
1669 and the French in 1682.Formerly Europe used to get the
Muslin through Iranian and Armenian merchants.
The imports of European companies had no local markets, so
the companies imported hard cash, bullion, to meet the
growing demand of Bengal, and particularly of Dhaka.
Available estimates show that in 1747 the export of Dhaka
cotton goods (chiefly of the fine variety of Muslin), including
those procured for the emperor, nawab etc was valued
at rupees twenty-eight lakh and a half.

Declined after the Battle of

Palashi:
The Muslin industry of Dhaka declined after the BATTLE OF
PALASHI, 1757. by the end of the 18th century, the export of
Dhaka Muslin came down to almost half of that of 1747, and by
the middle of the 19th century was valued at less than ten lakh
Rupees.
The decline of Dhaka Muslin was due to loss of patronage from
the Mughal emperors, nawabs and other high officials. The
Mughals not only lost their power and prestige but also their
buying and spending capacityWith the establishment of the
EAST INDIA COMPANY's monopoly over the trade of Bengal after
the battle of Palashi, the trade of other European companies and
traders belonging to other nationals practically came to a stop.

Contd.
the most important cause of decline and the
ultimate extinction of the Muslin industry was the
industrial revolution in England, which introduced
modern inventions in manufacture. The costly
Dhaka cotton goods, particularly the Muslin, lost in
competition with the cheap industrial products of
England.

End