|
The
Allure of Indian Cotton
|
By
Hwaa Irfan
Staff Writer – IslamOnline
|
15/12/2003
|
|
|
|
Cotton
was one of the main crops Britain exported from India
|
After
two centuries of colonial rule, in 1947, India earned its independence from a
past that might all seem quite irrelevant to those who would wish that past
away. With no notion of free trade as it is now, it took a simple frail man to
de-robe himself of the trappings of his future as a lawyer, and the personal
bounties it had to offer, to lead the way from dependency to independence.
Cotton was one of the main crops Britain exported from India; it constituted 5%
of British income in the 17th century,
reaching 70% at the beginning of the industrial revolution. From 1815 to 1832,
the value of Indian cotton goods exported fell from ₤1.3mn to below
₤100,000, whilst the raw materials imported to Britain, which formed the
base of the British cotton industry, and was exported as cotton to India, rose
from ₤156,000 in 1794 to ₤400,000 in 1832.
The
occupying forces instituted taxes that discriminated against local production. A
similar policy was also put into operation in Egypt and is clearly explained in
a statement made by the then British Governor to Egypt, Lord Cromer (1883-1907):
The
policy of the government may be summed up thus:
1)
Export of cotton to Europe.
2)
Imports of textile products manufactured abroad . . . nothing else enters into
the government’s intentions, nor will it protect the Egyptian cotton industry
because of the dangers and evils that arise from such measures . . . . since
Egypt is, by her nature, an agricultural country, it follows logically that
industrial training could lead to neglect of agriculture while diverting the
Egyptians from the land.” (Hayter p.46, 38).
The
relevance can be seen today, when the cheapest high quality cotton producers,
West Africa, lose US$ 250 million a year in income, due to the changes that
President Bush made in the U.S Farmers Act, which offered massive subsidies to
mostly Texan-based farmers. In Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin, cotton represents
eighty per cent of the total export revenue; the industry has been devastated by
the US move. Similar tariffs and trade protection mechanisms are being offered
to foreign companies in Iraq. (African Analysis). This was only last year, but
as this war-on-terrorism has demanded the question, it is for others to open
their borders to re-establish the economic base of the `Lions Share’.
Under
British colonialism, India was left with a decimated industry where there were
twenty women weavers to each male weaver. The voice of Santipur, a 22-year-old
widow, reverberated the colonial past in her words printed in the journal Tattrabodhini
Patrik in 1928:
“My
thread is so fine and I spin so fast that others in my area cannot match my
output. I maintain my whole family, children and dependant parents-in-law, from
my spinning income. I already charge so little for my thread I wonder how poor
are the English spinners that they sell their yarn so much cheaper than mine. My
income declines steadily. I cannot find a good market.”
To
change all of this there was one man, Mahatma Gandhi. “At last, after no end
of wandering in Gujarat, Gangabehn found the spinning-wheel in Vijapur, in the
Baroda State. Quite a number of people there had spinning wheels in their homes,
but had long since consigned them to the lofts as useless lumber. They expressed
to Gangabehn their readiness to resume spinning if someone promised to provide
them with a regular supply of slivers and to buy the yarn spun by them.”
So
it was then for Gandhi, the non-violent path towards preservation of a way of
life, which led towards the elimination of British occupation. From solving the
problem of how to supply the slivers to produce the cotton yarn, to finding
weavers to weave the yarn, to distribution and sales, this one seemingly simple
desire provided work for many, protected an indigenous industry and showed the
exit from India to the occupying forces of those times. “The wheel began
merrily to hum in my room, and I may say without exaggeration, that its hum had
no small share in restoring me to health. I am prepared to admit that its effect
was more psychological than physical. But then it only shows how powerfully the
physical in man reacts to the psychological.” (Gandhi).
“Let
mercy be the cotton
Contentment
the thread
Continence
the knot
And
truth the twist
Do
give it to me.
It'll
not wear out, nor get soiled
Nor
burnt, nor lost.
Says
Nanak, blessed are those
Who
go about wearing such thread”.
The
market was revived by India’s struggle for independence, and it was able to
honor its rich heritage of textiles and garments. This can be witnessed today
with revenues of 16.8% in 2001/2 (Economist p.1). Like a phoenix, it has risen
from the ashes.
The
soul of the Indian handloom industry, cotton has taken on many artistic and
creative forms for social and ritualistic purposes. Each region has its own
distinctive style, adding to a pot pourri of heritage that is going through a
renaissance with modern Indian fashion designers.
The
word muslin, meaning fine cotton, derives from the name of the city of its
origin, Mosul, in Iraq and through the centuries, when India became known as the
home of exotic muslins, two Indian cities, namely Masulipatnam in southern India
and Dhaka in Bengal, became famous for the weaving of this cloth. Unrivalled in
transparency, beauty and delicacy of texture, the count for the best variety of
Dhaka muslin is 1800 threads per inch, while the lesser varieties have about
1400 threads per inch.
|
|
|
Indian muslin used in the production of
soft-furnishings for export
|
In
India, cotton has provided shelter, homes, food and a means to live by, as well
as a medium for much creativity. Seamless and stitch-less, Indian manufacturers
have provided a variety of clothing, the basis of which is comfort and
practicality for both men and women. When summer comes again, just look at how
many women in particular you can see wearing clothes influenced by Indian design
or made from Indian cotton. Of course, the salwar khameez is the most
practical of all for women of all ages, regardless of size or shape, allowing
one to put comfort before attraction. Overall, the tradition of Indian textiles
goes back to the second century B.C. and includes:
The
Jamdani, which is an inlaid technique of a type of weave on muslin. The
cheaper muslin-based dhakai and tangail includes the jamadani,
which uses fine and complex needlework, has become very expensive to produce,
although it is still practiced.
|
|
|
Tangail Cotton
|
White
thread is used to weave on white, hardly visible, except on close scrutiny. The
thread used to weave the patterns is of the same count as the base material.
More frequently, gold and silver is used to weave the pattern onto cotton. Today
the traditional dhaka jamdani is still produced in Bangladesh, but with
fine Egyptian cotton; whilst in India they use locally produced cotton. Fine jamdani
motifs can be found on tangail fabric and is known a tangail jamdani. The
high number of weaves used to make saris has been passed on to the production of
soft furnishings. The tangail cotton of West Bengal is receiving a boost
from websites like bangladesh.net, which brings focus to Bangladeshi products;
assisting the producer, designer, the entrepreneur, the consumer, and Bangladesh
itself!
|
|
|
Ikat
|
The
distinctive ikat is a complex but precise repetition of dyes, even before
the cotton is woven. Long used in Indian art, not only for clothes, but also for
other practical everyday items like bags and winter protection, it has now been
incorporated into soft furnishings for modern Western interior decorating.
The
khadi, popularized by Gandhi who made it affordable again, involves a
process of folding one cloth into practical and hygienic clothing for men. The
material has been used for traditional Muslim dress including the burqa, the
ihram (clothes for pilgrimage to Mecca), and the durashasas (male
headwear) in the Gulf. Woven from handspun yarns, it became a symbol of
India’s struggle for independence during the time of Gandhi.
More
complex techniques include Chanderi, Paithan, Hyderabad, Gadwal and Wanaparti, pallus
and borders were woven in the paithani technique. Originally, Chanderi
was woven as cotton weft on cotton warp where the loom involved pulling the
thread through reeds. Now those reeds are no longer available, the stronger
thread of silk is used.
Then
we have embroidery using:
|
|
|
Pipli
|
Appliqué,
also known as pipli, is named after the village in Orissa; it
is also practiced in some parts of Gujarat. Appliqué is based on patchwork with
finely cut shapes sewn together on a plain background then ornamented with
motifs.
Bagh
(garden) is one of a range of embroidery techniques distinctive by its geometric
patterns, essentially reliant on one or two colors with emphasis on contrast can
be clearly seen in this woman’s veil. Worked into coarse cotton cloth using
silk thread and made by the female members of a household, the veil is presented
to the young bride. (Vam)
Chikankari
is delicate work using white threads. What is simple is sometimes the hardest to
sustain, with its intricate yet even handiwork, using very fine knots. The flat
stitches require a delicate sense to give a distinct textural
|
|
|
Bagh
|
appearance.
From washing and cutting to embroidery and the finishing touches, the layouts of
pattern are carried out with the prevention of wastage in mind. The washing
process alone takes 10-12 days and involves bleaching, an acidic treatment and
stiffening. An entire garment may be embellished, or just a small part, using
designs of parts of plants for the desired effect. With such a high level of
work involved in the final piece of garment the art form would have died out if
it were not for the diligence of governmental organizations that have succeeded
in making it available for both domestic and export markets. (India)
These
are just drops in the ocean of seemingly endless art in the form of needlework,
work which demands total concentration and a state of near meditation.
One
can appreciate the concerns of Pakistani Prime Minister, Zafar Allah Jamali for
issuing the order to crack down on fashion shows, because they have become
un-Islamic by appealing to standards of dress (or undress) against the Islamic
norms of decency. With the likes of Madonna making the body-top or choli,
which is worn under saris, a popular form of modern dress for the young,
it has placed the bra on the outside, leaving very little left to the
imagination!
The
Choli, which is traditionally worn under the sari, dates back to
the tenth century and recently testified to negative Western influences when the
pop singer Madonna made it fashionable. Virtually stripping women down to the
bra - what matters is not character, not personality, even intellect, but sex
appeal - can lead to all sorts of street and domestic crimes.
People
like Mounir Moufarrige, chief executive of France Luxury Group, have compounded
this attitude. Mounir stated, “I'm interested in the Indian industry in
general because I think it's a great textile country," he told the BBC's
World Business Report. "Of course that (choli) has been confined to
Indian design, not Western design necessarily, and I think that it's time to go
larger than the market in India" (BBC). In addition, Armand and Martine
Hadida, owners of the French swank store chain L'eclaireur, added: "We do
business with our heart and soul, not only for money, and we believe that India
is the last place on earth where centuries' old traditions live on"
(Sengupta p.1).
Coming
back down to reality, the importance of such fine art work is not only for the
pleasure of the observer, but it is the spinner, the weaver, the person who
dyes, washes and prepares the cloth and the person who applies the handicraft
who achieve the most. They achieve not only for their country, but there is also
a personal gain, one that surpasses the commercial aspect. In the words of
Gandhi, who learnt through the process of production himself, the virtues
involved:
“The
core of my suggestions in that handicraft is to be taught, not merely for
productive work, but for developing the intellect of the pupils. Surely if the
state takes charge of the children between seven and fourteen and train their
bodies and minds through productive labor, the public schools must be frauds and
teachers idiots, if they cannot become self supporting…. I would not teach
them the alphabet till they have had an elementary knowledge of
history geography mental arithmetic and the art (say) of
spinning"(Gandhi).
Sources:
|
