|
The art of weaving developed in the region comprising India at a time
when few other civilizations employed it. Excavations at Moenjodaro
and Harappa - ancient cities of the Indus Valley civilization - have
established that the inhabitants used spindles and spun a wide variety
of weaving materials. Some historians consider that the Indus Valley
civilization first developed the use of woven textiles.
Carpet weaving may have been introduced into the area of present-day
Pakistan as far back as the eleventh century with the coming of the
first Muslim conquerors, the Ghaznavids and the Ghauris, from the
West. It can with more certainty be traced to the beginning of the
Mughal Dynasty in the early sixteenth century, when the last successor
of Timur, Babar, extended his rule from Kabul to India to found the
Mughal Empire. Under the patronage of the Mughals, Indian craftsmen
adopted Persian techniques and designs. Carpets woven in the Punjab at
that time made use of motifs and decorative styles found in Mughal
architecture.
During the Mughal period, the carpets made on the Indian subcontinent
became so famous that demand for them spread abroad. These carpets had
distinctive designs and boasted a high density of knots. Carpets made
for the Mughal emperors, including Jahangir and Shah Jahan, were of
the finest quality. Under Shah Jahan's reign, Mughal carpet weaving
took on a new aesthetic and entered its classical phase.
At present, hand-knotted carpets are among Pakistan's leading export
products and their manufacture is the second largest cottage and small
industry. Indian craftsmen have the capacity to produce any type of
carpet using all the popular motifs of gulls, medallions, paisleys,
traceries, and geometric designs in various combinations. |
Carpet
