Editing Muslin (section)

== History ==
=== Early period ===
The earliest specimen of Bengal's fine cotton cloth (like muslin) was found in [[Egypt]] as a [[mummy]] shroud around 2000&nbsp;BC. The first commercial mention of Indian cotton is found in ''[[Periplus of the Erythraean Sea|The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea]]'' (63 AD). The book mentions the export of fine cotton textiles from different parts of India to Europe. The eastern (Bengal) and north-western regions of India produced large quantities of fine cotton cloth, but Bengal cotton cloth was superior in quality. According to the text, European merchants procured fine cotton fabrics from the ''Gange'' port of Bengal. In this text, broad and smooth cotton cloth is referred to as ''Monachi'' and the finest cotton cloth is called ''Gangetic''. A kingdom called 'Ruhma' is found in the ''[[Sulaiman al-Tajir]]'' written by the 9th century Arab merchant Sulaiman, where fine cotton fabrics was produced. There were cotton fabrics so fine and delicate that a single piece of cloth could be easily moved through the ring. Very fine cotton cloth was made in [[Mosul]] in the 12th century and later. Arab traders carried it to Europe as a commodity, and enchanted Europeans called it muslin; since then the very fine and beautiful cotton cloth came to be known as muslin. In 1298&nbsp;AD, [[Marco Polo]] described in his book ''The Travels'' that muslin is made in Mosul, Iraq.<ref>[[Marco Polo|Polo, Marco]]. [https://archive.org/stream/mostnoblefamoust00polo#page/28/mode/2up "The most noble and famous travels of Marco Polo, together with the travels of Nicoláo de' Conti"]. Translated by [[John Frampton]], London, A. and C. Black, 1937, p.28.</ref> [[Ibn Battuta]], a Moroccan traveler who came to Bengal in the middle of the 14th century, praised the cotton cloth made in [[Sonargaon]] in his book ''[[The Rihla]]''. Chinese writers who came to Bengal in the fifteenth century praised cotton cloth.

=== Mughal period ===
{{See also|Muslin trade in Bengal}}
{{multiple image
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| image1            = Renaldis muslin woman.jpg
| caption1          = A woman in Bengal wearing Dhaka Muslin, titled ''Muslim Lady Reclining'' by [[Francesco Renaldi]] (1789)
| image2            = Muslin transparency 2015 Kolkata.jpg
| caption2          = In 2015, the diaphanous quality of muslin woven at [[Sonargaon]] in the 18th century is being tested in [[Kolkata]].
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The muslin industry flourished in Bengal between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The main muslin production centers in Bengal during this period were Dhaka and its surrounding areas, [[Shantipur]], [[Malda district|Malda]] and [[Hooghly district|Hooghly]]. The 16th-century English traveller [[Ralph Fitch]] lauded the muslin he saw in [[Sonargaon]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Shamim |first1=Shahid Hussain |last2=Selim |first2=Lala Rukh |year=2007 |chapter=Handloom Textiles |editor-last=Selim |editor-first=Lala Rukh |title=Art and Crafts |series=Cultural survey of Bangladesh series |volume=8 |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh |page=552 |oclc=299379796}}</ref> He visited India in 1583, described [[Sonargaon]], "as a town&nbsp;... where there is the best and finest cloth made in all India". During the reign of Emperor [[Jahangir]], [[Islam Khan Chishti]] shifted the capital from [[Rajmahal]] to Dhaka in 1610&nbsp;AD, Dhaka gained prominence as the center of trade and commerce of Bengal. During this period the muslin produced in Dhaka achieved excellence, and the muslin produced here became world famous as ''Dhakai muslin''. Mughal Emperor Akbar's courtier, [[Abul Fazal]], praised the fine cotton fabric produced in Sonargaon (near Dhaka). Abul Fazl wrote "the Sarkar of Sonargaon produces a species of muslin very fine and in great quantity". European traders began arriving in the Bengali capital of Dhaka in the early seventeenth century, and these traders procured cotton cloth and muslin from Bengal for export to Europe.

After the establishment of [[Murshidabad]] as the capital of Bengal, [[Cossimbazar]]—a small town on the banks of the Bhagirathi south of Murshidabad city, now included in the Baharampur municipality—became the center of a silk and cotton textile trade. The branch of the Bhagirathi that joined the Jalangi was called Cossimbazar river, and the triangular land surrounded by the Padma, Bhagirathi and Jalangi was called Cossimbazar Island. It was a major trading center for muslin and silk and a trading post (''kuthi'') of various European merchants. In 1670&nbsp;AD, [[Streynsham Master]] mention that muslin was produced at Malda, Shantipur, Hooghly etc. Advaitacharya Goswami's ''Shantipur Parichaẏa'', Volume II mentions that the East India Company purchased £150,000 worth of muslin annually in the early 19th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] [[Bengal Subah|Bengal]] emerged as the foremost muslin exporter in the world, with Mughal [[Dhaka]] as capital of the worldwide muslin trade.<ref name="Eaton1996">{{Cite book |last=Eaton |first=Richard Maxwell |year=1996 |title=The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204–1760 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gKhChF3yAOUC&pg=PA202 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-20507-9 |page=202 |access-date=13 February 2016 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404212612/https://books.google.com/books?id=gKhChF3yAOUC&pg=PA202 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Karim |first=Abdul |year=2012 |chapter=Muslin |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Muslin |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] |access-date=31 October 2015 |archive-date=5 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705005108/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Muslin |url-status=live }}</ref> It became highly popular in 18th-century France and eventually spread across much of the Western world. Dhaka muslin was first showcased in the UK at The [[Great Exhibition]] of the Works of Industry of All Nations in 1851.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gorvett |first=Zaria |title=The ancient fabric that no one knows how to make |url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210316-the-legendary-fabric-that-no-one-knows-how-to-make |access-date=2023-06-06 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en |archive-date=10 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710061655/https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210316-the-legendary-fabric-that-no-one-knows-how-to-make |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Decline under Company rule ===
During the period of [[Company rule in India|Company rule]], the [[East India Company]] imported British-produced cloth into the [[Indian subcontinent]], but became unable to compete with the local muslin industry. The Company administration initiated several policies in an attempt to suppress the muslin industry, and muslin production subsequently experienced a period of decline. It has been alleged that in some instances Indian weavers were rounded up and their thumbs chopped off, although this has been refuted by historians as a misreading of a report by [[William Bolts]] from 1772.<ref name="Bolts1772">{{Cite book |last=Bolts |first=William |author-link=William Bolts |year=1772 |title=Considerations on India affairs: particularly respecting the present state of Bengal and its dependencies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=98lNAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Printed for J. Almon |pages=194–195}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Edwards |first=Michael |date=June 1976 |title=Growth of the British Cotton Trade 1780–1815 |publisher=Augustus M Kelley Pubs |page=37 |isbn=0-678-06775-9}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Marshall |first=P. J.|year=1988 |title=India and Indonesia during the Ancien Regime |publisher=E.J. Brill |page=90 |isbn=978-90-04-08365-3}}</ref> Many of the threatened weavers fled East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) and settled in the eastern districts of West Bengal, these districts were famous for the cotton products of Bengal. The quality, fineness and production volume of Bengali muslin declined as a result of these policies, continuing when India transitioned from Company rule to [[British Raj|British Crown control]].<ref name="Bolts1772"/><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Samuel |first1=T. John |year=2013 |title=Many avatars : challenges, achievements and the future |location=[S.l.] |publisher=Friesenpress |isbn=978-1-4602-2893-7}}</ref>

=== Revive: 1950s–present ===
==== Bangladesh ====
{{See also|Textile arts of Bangladesh|Textile industry of Bangladesh|Jamdani}}
In the second decade of the 21st century, a scheme called ''Bangladesh Golden Heritage Muslin Yarn Manufacturing Technology and Muslin Cloth Restoration'' was undertaken to restore and develop the muslin production system in Bangladesh. Under this project, samples of muslin from different countries including India, Britain were inspected and data collected. Old maps of the [[Meghna River]] were examined and combined with modern satellite imagery to identify possible locations – where phuti carpus plants could still be found. From there, the genetic sequences of the recovered cotton plants were made and compared with the original ones. After testing, a carpus plant was identified, which was 70 percent identical to the Futi carpus. An island in the Meghna, 30 km north of [[Dhaka]], was selected for the production of this corpus, where some seeds were sown experimentally in 2015, and the first cotton was harvested that year. But at that time there were no skilled spinners in Bangladesh to produce fine yarn.  On the other hand, Indian spinners were able to produce 200-300-400-500 count fine yarn from cotton. As a result, in joint venture with Indian spinners, a hybrid yarn of 200 and 300 count was produced by combining common and futi corpus cotton. At least 50 tools were needed to make cloth from yarn, which had to be reinvented, as they disappeared with muslin. Ultimately a weaver is able to weave a saree with a thread count of 300, which is nowhere near the quality of real ''Dhaka muslin''; But much better quality than what the weavers of many generations past have woven.

The [[Bangladesh Handloom Board]] (BHB) is implementing the first phase of the project titled ''Bangladesh's Golden Heritage Muslin Yarn Manufacturing Technology and Muslin Cloth Reviving'', and the Revival work was completed in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/legendary-muslin-revived/ |title=Legendary Muslin revived again, Textile Today, 2 January 2021 |date=2 January 2021 |access-date=2 January 2022 |archive-date=2 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102145521/https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/legendary-muslin-revived/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Dhakai Muslin'' was recognized as a GI (Geographical Indication) product on 28 December 2020. The [[Government of Bangladesh]] declared official revival of fine Dhaka Muslin in April 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/bangladesh-resurrects-precious-woven-air-dhaka-muslin/2574987 | title=Bangladesh resurrects precious woven-air Dhaka muslin }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/9/textile-hub-bangladesh-revives-muslin-the-forgotten-elite-fabric | title=Textile hub Bangladesh revives muslin, the forgotten elite fabric }}</ref>

In 2022, the Dhakai Muslin House was built on the banks of [[Shitalakshya River|Shitalakshya]] river at Rupganj under Tarab municipality of Narayanganj district. The second phase of the project named ‘Dhaka Muslin Commercialization’ begins in 2023.

<gallery mode="packed" style="font-size:88%; line-height:130%; border-bottom:1px #aaa solid;" heights="180" caption="The Dhakai Muslin (21st century)">
File:Art Market by Shilpakala Academy 2024 183.jpg|A ''Dhakai muslin'' saree, produced by Bangladesh Handloom Board under the project "Bangladesh Muslin Golden Heritage of Technology Reviving the Technology of Muslin Golden Heritage"
File:Art Market by Shilpakala Academy 2024 188.jpg|Dhaka muslin fabric
File:Art Market by Shilpakala Academy 2024 192.jpg|A scarf of ''Dhakai muslin'', woven with 300 count yarn
File:BANGLADESH visits (53504796999).jpg|[[Saida Muna Tasneem]], the [[ List of high commissioners of Bangladesh to the United Kingdom|high commissioner of Bangladesh to the United Kingdom]], in a pastel green muslin [[Sari]]
</gallery>

==== India ====
To revive Bengal muslin, two muslin production centers were set up by the Khadi and Rural Industries Commission, one at [[Basoa|Basowa]] in [[Birbhum district|Birbhum]] district of [[West Bengal]], and the other at Panduru in [[Srikakulam district|Srikakulam]] district of [[Andhra Pradesh]]. Under the patronage of former Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], Kalicharan Sharma took the lead in reviving the lost fame of muslin in Basowa, Birbhum district of West Bengal, with the help of some spinners. He soon found the dry climate of Birbhum quite unsuitable for spinning muslin yarn. Later he shifted his work center to the neighboring district of [[Murshidabad district|Murshidabad]], and chose Chowk Islampur as the site of this weaving industry. Chowk Islampur, situated on the banks of the Bairab River, a tributary of the [[Padma River|Padma]], is an ancient village famous for spinning and weaving since the days of the [[East India Company]]. After India's independence, the village had already gained a reputation for high-quality silk weaving. A muslin training center was started at Chowk Islampur in 1955 under the supervision of Kalicharan Sharma.

At first experiments were started on spinning yarn with traditional ''Kishan Charkha'', but it was not possible to make more than 250 counts on this traditional Charkha. Kalicharan Sharma did further experiments and research and developed a highly sensitive six spindle ''Ambar Charkha'' (spinning wheel) capable of spinning 500 count yarn. This new Charkha was able to reduce the cost of production and increase the wages of spinners. The use of this ''ambar Charkha'' proved to be effective and promising for the regeneration of muslin. To concentrate on muslin spinning, the Khadi Society constructed a separate spacious two-storied building at [[Berhampore]] in 1966.

The Government of West Bengal launched "Project Muslin" in 2013 with Khadi. The aim in this initiative was to revive the muslin fabric and support the weavers. Through this project, weavers from Murshidabad, Nadia, Maldah, Burdwan, Birbhum, Hooghly and Jhargram districts who are capable of weaving muslin cloth were identified.<ref name="indianexpress">{{cite news |title=Govt steps up muslin revival with infra support to weavers |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/govt-steps-up-muslin-revival-with-infra-support-to-weavers-7699220/ |access-date=22 August 2024 |work=The Indian Express |date=31 December 2021 |language=en}}</ref> All these weavers are provided training and technical assistance to produce high quality muslin. Weavers are capable of producing 500 counts of muslin; Some weavers have been able to weave 700 count muslin.<ref name="anandabazar1">{{cite news |last1=Bandyopadhyay |first1=Debashis |title=সূক্ষ্ম মসলিন বুননে নতুন পালক জি আই |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/bengal-s-muslin-cloth-weaving-may-get-gi-1.1004134 |access-date=22 August 2024 |work=www.anandabazar.com |publisher=ABP |date=12 Jun 2019}}</ref><ref name="anandabazar2">{{cite news |last1=Bandyopadhyay |first1=Pinaki |title=হারাতে বসা মসলিন ফিরছে খাদির হাত ধরে |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/business/muslin-cloth-slowly-gaining-it-s-market-1.928154 |access-date=22 August 2024 |date=7 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bhattacharya |first1=Kedarnath |title=শাড়ির নকশায় ভাবনা মেশান জ্যোতিষ |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/bardhaman/astrologer-cum-artisans-of-kalna-works-on-muslin-clothes/cid/1456729 |access-date=25 August 2024 |date=2 September 2023 |location=Kalna}}</ref> Project Muslin was able to expand the production of muslin in different parts of West Bengal. Muslin products produced in West Bengal include handkerchiefs, ''[[dhoti]]'', bed sheets and men's and women's clothing. According to 2015 data, the products were priced between ₹400 and ₹25,000, while some premium sarees in this category were priced between ₹70,000 and ₹150,000.<ref name="economictimes">{{cite news |last1=Ghosal |first1=Sutanuka |last2=Roy |first2=Tasmayee Laha |title=How Mamata Banerjee's Biswa Bangla is bringing dying arts, crafts back from the brink |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/sme-sector/how-mamata-banerjees-biswa-bangla-is-bringing-dying-arts-crafts-back-from-the-brink/articleshow/49866744.cms?from=mdr |access-date=22 August 2024 |work=The Economic Times |date=21 November 2015}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" style="font-size:88%; line-height:130%; border-bottom:1px #aaa solid;" heights="180" caption="The Bengal Muslin (20th century)">
File:Bengal or Banglar muslin with various counts - 100 count, 200 count, 300 count, 400 count and 500 count.png|Display of Bengal muslin fabrics, which are woven from 100 count to 500 count yarns
File:Moslin 1.jpg|Muslin saree passing through a finger ring
File:Moslin 4.jpg|Two muslin sarees packaged in two small cardboard boxes of size approx 8 inches X 6 inches X 2 inches
File:Moslin 8.jpg|Muslin saree weaving in Kalna, West Bengal
</gallery>