The Traditional Art of Weaving Jamdani

Table of Content

Introduction

History

Global Presence

Community

Materials

Weaving technique:

Variety of jamdani work:

Changes with time

Decline and fall

10

Present Condition

11

Current problems

12

Conclusion

Introduction
Jamdani (Bengali: ) are among the finest muslin textiles of Bengal produced in Dhaka District, Bangladesh. Fine Dhaka jamdani is often calledDhakaiya Jamdani (Bengali: ). The historic production of jamdani was patronized by imperial warrants of the Mughal emperors. It adorned royalty and nobility across Asia and theMuslim world for centuries. Under British colonialism, the Bengali jamdani and muslin industries rapidly declined due to colonial import policies favoring industrially manufactured textiles. In more recent years, the production of jamdani has witnessed a revival in Bangladesh, with jamdani sarisbecoming one of the most prestigious luxury fabrics of South Asia. The traditional art of weaving jamdani has been declared by UNESCO as a masterpiece of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

History
The origin of the word jamdani is uncertain. Jamdani is a Persian term. In Persian, Jama means cloth and dana, means buti or diapering. Jamdani therefore could mean diapered cloth. It is believed that Muslims introduced the jamdani style of weaving in Bengal. The claim seems probable in the sense that the Muslims held the monopoly of jamdani in Bengal for centuries both in its weaving and marketing. But Jamdani as a fabric is considered to be much older than Muslim rule in Bengal. The Arthasastra (about 300 AD) mentions Vanga to be the home of a very delicate textile staff. Jamdani is also found in the book of Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and in the accounts of Arab, Chinese and Italian travelers and traders. Four kinds of fine cloths were produced in Vanga and Pundra in those days, viz khouma, dukul, pattrorna and karpasi. From various historical accounts, folklore and slokas, it may be assumed that very fine fabrics were available in Bengal as far back as the first century A.D. Fine dukul textile has been mentioned in many ancient accounts and it is possible dukul was renamed as jamdani during Muslim period. However, Jamdani designs developed along with other groups of the fabric. The fine fabric that used to be made at Mosul in Iraq was called mosuli or mosulin. In Sril Silat-ut-Tawarik, a 9th century book, the Arab geographer Solaiman mentions the fine fabric produced in a state called Rumy, which, according to many, may be located in the present territory of Bangladesh. IBN BATUTA profusely praised the quality of cotton textiles of SONARGAON. In late 16th century English traveller RALPH FITCH and historian Abul Fazl also praised the muslin made at Sonargaon. The art of making jamdani designs on fine fabric reached its zenith during Mughal rule. There were handlooms in almost all villages of DHAKA district. Dhaka, Sonargaon, Dhamrai, Titabari, Jangalbari and Bajitpur were famous place for making superior quality jamdani and muslin.

Traders from Europe, Iran, Armenia, and later USA came to Bengal to buy Bengal muslins. The Mughal Emperor, the Nawab of Bengal and other aristocrats used to engage agents at Dhaka to procure muslin and jamdani fabrics for royal families. The golden age of Dhaka muslin began during the Mughal rule. Since then the demand for jamdani and muslin fabrics at home and abroad grew and this led to further improvement in its artisanship. According to the 18th century documents of the EAST INDIA COMPANY, a high official of the company was posted at Dhaka to buy two muslin varieties of mulmul khas and sarkar-iali. He had the designation of Daroga-i-mulmul. Every foreign factory had an office, which maintained records of the best jamdani variety. Bengal jamdani decorated the homes and wardrobes of Europe and America in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Jamdani artisans had no fixed salary. They were paid as per the market value of the jamdani or muslin they produced. It was the duty of the Daroga to keep a sharp eye at every stage of production. Mulmul khas worth about Rs 100,000 collected from Dhaka, Sonargaon and Jangalbari were sent to the Mughal court every year on regular and contract basis. According to the account of export in 1747, muslin fabrics worth Rs 550,000 were bought for the Emperor of Delhi, the Nawab of Bengal and the famous trader JAGAT SHETH. European traders and companies bought muslin worth Rs 950,000 in the same year. The export of muslin started declining at the end of the 18th century. After the English gained DIWANI in Bengal in 1765, Company agents resorted to oppressing the weavers for their own gains. They applied their political power to skew the market forces of muslin and that led to the beginning of decline of jamdani industry. According to JAMES WISE, Dhaka muslin worth Rs 5 million was exported to England in 1787. James Taylor put the figure at Rs 3 million. In 1807, the export came down to Rs 850,000 and the export completely stopped in 1817. Thereafter muslin used to go to Europe only as personal imports. According to a record of mid-19th century, the rulers and nawabs of Delhi, Lucknow, Nepal and Murshidabad used to wear white muslin with floral jamdani designs costing Rs 50,000. A number of causes are responsible for the decline of the jamdani and muslin industry from the 1830s. The major factors were the industrial revolution in Britain, collapse of the Mughal aristocracies, and the rise of new markets for cheaper textiles. However, now the Bangladesh government is giving support to the development jamdani industry in its modern perspectives. After the liberation of Bangladesh, a jamdani village was established at Demra near Dhaka to provide financial support to weavers. Jamdani weavers of other areas, however, were deprived of such support to promote their labour and expertise. So, they are no longer interested to keep the tradition of such artisanship. The silent looms of Madhurapur village in BAJITPUR upazila ofKISHOREGANJ district are witnesses of the decline of jamdani industry. This village was once famous for producing jamdani cloth and fancy textiles with yarn of 100/300 counts. Another village Jangalbari was very famous in the same district has the same story to tell.

Global Presence
Due to the detail oriented process, only aristocrats and royal families were able to afford such luxuries. In Iraq, the fabric that used to be made at Mosul was called mosuli or mosulin. Dhaka, Sonargaon, Dhamrai, Titabari, Jangalbari and Bajitpur were famous for making superior quality Jamdani and muslin. In the book Sril Silat-ut-Tawarikh, written in the 9th century, the Arab geographer Solaiman mentions the fabric produced in a state called Rumy, the area now known as Bangladesh. The golden age of Dhaka muslin began with Mughal rule, in the 17th century. Traders from Europe, Iran, Armenia, and Mughal-Pathans used to buy and sell Jamdani fabric. Emporers and aristocrats used to buy high quality muslin and Jamdani for their masters' use. However, during the middle of the 18th century the decline in the Jamdani industry began. Use of machinery in the English textile industry, and the subsequent import of lower quality, but cheaper yarn from Europe, started the decline. The decline of Mughal power in India, deprived Jamdani weavers of their most influential patrons. Weavers were paid at market value of the Jamdani they produced, and it was the duty of the Daroga to monitor quality standards during production. In 1765, the agents at the weaving companies began to pressure the weavers into selling their cloth at low prices. To stop this oppression the East India Company started buying the textiles directly from the weavers. According to James Wise, Dhaka muslin worth Re 5 million was exported to England in 1787. James Taylor put the figure at Re 3 million. In 1807, the export came down to Re 850,000 and the export completely stopped in 1817.

Community
Jamdani, as most other hand-loom weaving traditions in Bangladesh, is typically done by men. In early times, it was done by Muslim men. The villages in Rupganj, Araihazar, Sonargaon, Shiddhirganj and other places around the Shitalakhya consist of the main Jamdani-making belt. Tangil saris were originally woven by the Basak community. Another group that excelled in the work of the Tangil sari settled in Nabadwip, Dhatrigram, and Khulna.

Materials
Cotton or silk thread Tools 1. Loom 2. Scissors 3. Shuttles 4. Charka (spinning machine) 5. Maku (shuttle)

Weaving technique: The mastery of muslin cloth weaving used to depend usually on the art
of making yarns. The most appropriate time for making yarns was early morning as the air then carried the highest moisture. For making yarns weavers needed taku, a bamboo basket, a shell and a stone cup. They used popcorn, rice or barley for starch. Before making jamdani designs they used to dye their yarn and starch it. For dye they used flowers and leaves of creepers. For quality jamdani they used yarn of 200 to 250 counts. These days weavers buy fine yarn from the market and use chemical dyes instead of herbal dyes. For making jamdani two weavers sit side by side at a loom to work on the delicate designs. Jamdani designs are made while the fabric is still on the loom. Coarse yarns are used for designs to make the motifs rise above the fabric. Originally, the motifs used to be made on gray fabric. Later on fabrics of other colours were also used. In the 1960s, jamdani work on red fabric became very popular. The Victoria and Albert Museum of London has a fine collection of jamdani with work in white on white fabric.

Variety of jamdani work: The most particular characteristic of jamdani work is its
geometric design. The expert weavers do not need to draw the design on paper. They do it from their instinct. Jamdanis have different names according to their design. Some names of jamdani are: panna hajar, dubli jal, butidar, tersa, jalar, duria, charkona, mayur pyanch, kalmilata, puilata, kachupata, katihar, kalka pad, angurlata, sandesh pad, prajapati pad, durba pad shaplaful, baghnali, juibuti, shal pad, chandra pad, chandrahar, hansa, jhumka, kauar thyanga pad chalta pad, inchi pad, bilai adakul naksha, kachupata pad, badghat pad, karlapad, gila pad, kalasful, murali jal, kachi pad, mihin pad, kankra pad, shamukbuti, prajapati buti, belpata pad, jabaful and badur pakhi pad. Present day jamdani saris have on their background designs of rose, jasmine, lotus, bunch of bananas, bunch of ginger and sago. Efforts are underway to revive traditional jamdani designs. A jamdani with small flowers diapered on the fabric is known as butidar. If these flowers are arranged in reclined position it is called tersa jamdani. It is not necessary that these designs ought to be of flowers only. There can be designs with peacocks and leaves of creepers. If such designs cover the entire field of the sari it is calledjalar naksha. If the field is covered with rows of flowers it is known as fulwar jamdani. Duria jamdani has designs of spots all over. Belwari jamdani with colourful golden

borders used to be made during the Mughal period, especially for the women of herem, the inner court. The production cost of jamdani in Mughal time was very high and its quality control deserves a mention here. The Daroga-i-mulmul posted in the headquarters of Mulmul Khas office in Dhaka used to engage expert artisans for jamdani weaving paying them money in advance. Only the members of the royal family could afford these as the costing of such jamdani products was beyond the reach of ordinary people. The exclusive fabrics for them were made in some designated top class weaving factories under the close supervision of the daroga (inspector). The emerging top businessmen also used to set up jamdani weaving factories like the royal families to get required Jamdani fabrics for their own use. They also used to engage jamdani artisans for this purpose. The demand of such precious jamdani products was very high in the international market. Royal families from Europe and Asia used to procure those costly cloths through placing order in advance to the trading agencies in Dhaka. But the jamdani industry started declining from the early 19th century with the emergence of the mechanised textile industry and its cheaper products. The textile eventually mills captured the world cloth market. The jamdani of Dhaka still survives with its new characteristics. It needs one to two months to make a standard jamdani SARI. Although jamdani was made in different parts of Bangladesh in the past, the core villages to weave it were the villages which still survive with their past glories. The weavers of these villages are the main descendants of traditional jamdani weavers. The sites are Noapara, Dakkhin Ruposhi, Ruposhi Kajipara, Gandabpur, Shiddhirgonj, Mugrakul, Khidirpur, Imkoli, Tarabo, Khalpara, Dighborar, Khadun, Pabankul and Sultanbagh, Moreover, jamdani is also made by the artisan of nearby villages of Gonganagar, Kahina, Meergodai, Mahimpur, Harina Nodir Par and Meerkutircheo, and some areas of Sonargaon upazila. At present, Jamdani is also produced in Boalmari upazila of Faridpur district. (BSCIC) took up various initiatives from 1982 to improve the condition of jamdani industry and to make it a profitable sector. BSCIC conducted a survey in the jamdani rich Tarabo Union in 1962-63, when 1466 jamdani industrial units were traced out there. The number came down to 1173, when the second survey was conducted in 1964-65. After the liberation, BSCIC conducted another survey in those 15 villages including 14 villages of Tarabo union in 1993 and found that only 1119 weavers were engaged in jamdani production. According to the next survey conducted in the some villages in 1999, the number of jamdani weavers increased a little. Later in 2002, following the strengthening of BSCIC programme there, the number of artisans rose to 5,699 and the number of jamdani industrial units stood at 1528 and the number of operating looms was 2519.
BANGLADESH SMALL AND COTTAGE INDUSTRIES CORPORATION

The government of Bangladesh undertook several measures to develop jamdani industry, which include establishment of a Jamdani Industrial Estate and Research Centre. Its objective is to enhance production quality and marketing facility, provide infrastructural facilities to the jamdani artisans, rehabilitate the jamdani entrepreneur and weavers, promote the socio-economic status of the skilled and experienced jamdani craftsmen, supply designs and samples of jamdani having high demand in markets to the artisans, conduct research of improving the qualitative standard and excellence of jamdani product. BSCIC started the construction work of the Jamdani

Industrial Estate and Research Centre in Noapara village under Tarabo union of Rupgonj upazila in Narayangonj district in July 1993 and completed the work in 1999 at a cost of Tk 58.563 million across a land of 20 acres. At present, there are 412 industrial plots (each of 1200-2000 square feet) over 14.39 acres of land. So far 399 plots have already been allotted to the entrepreneurs. [Zinat Mahrukh Banu and Masood Reza]

Changes with time

We do not know exactly when jamdani came to be adorned with floral patterns of the loom. It is, however, certain that in the Mughal period, most likely during the reign of either Emperor Akbar (1556-1605) or Emperor Jahangir (1605-1627), the figured or flowered muslin came to be known as the jamdani. Forbes Watson in his most valuable work titled Textile Manufactures and Costumes of the people of India holds that the figured muslins, because of their complicated designs, were always condidered the most expensive productions of the Dhaka looms. The designs and colors also changed with time. Originally, the motifs used to be made on gray fabric. Later on fabrics of other colours were also used. In the 1960s, jamdani work on red fabric became very popular. The Victoria and Albert Museum of London has a fine collection of jamdani with work in white on white fabric. The production methods have also changed. Previously, popcorn, rice or barley was used for starch. Before making jamdani, the designers used to dye their yarn and starch it. For dye they used flowers and leaves of creepers. For quality jamdani they used yarn of 200 to 250 counts. These days weavers buy fine yarn from the market and use chemical dyes instead of herbal dyes. Finally, time has also influenced the designs. Keeping up the modern demand, present day jamdani saris have on their ground designs of rose, jasmine, lotus, bunches of bananas, bunches of ginger and sago. Recently, there is a trend of embroidering Jamdanis or putting paars on saris. However, many traditionalists are vehemently against this trend, claiming this is destroying a tradition.

Decline and fall

From the middle of the 19th century, there was a gradual decline in the jamdani industry. A number of factors contributed to this decline. The subsequent import of lower quality, but cheaper yarn from Europe, started the decline. Most importantly, the decline of Mughal power in India, deprived the producers of jamdani of their most influential patrons. Villages like Madhurapur and Jangalbari, (both in the Kishoreganj district), once famous for the jamdani industry went into gradual oblivion

Present Condition
In present days, this industry is struggling for its survival against financial and socio-economic bottlenecks. This industry is still existent in approximately 150 villages of Rupgonj, Sonargaon and Siddhrgonj under Dhaka district. The Jamdani industry is still practicing the traditional mechanism; there is hardly any technological advancement. The main Jamdani manufacturing belt is now threatened as the river Shitalakhya is encroached and the riverbank is congested with factories and mills. The water, which changed its course over the years for encroachment and many other reasons, is polluted. The area no longer produces the fine Karpash cotton, the wonder behind the magnificent fabric. The marketing system is still controlled by the middlemen, who often form informal cartels. Many artisans are now switching over other occupations for better life. According to a survey by Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), now there are only around 5,500 artisans in the Jamdani villages, where once the entire community was associated with Jamdani craftsmanship. The most gruesome part of this industry is that the loom owners are now using child labour to curtail the cost. It is posing a threat to the age-old traditional industry as these children do not belong to original Jamdani artisan family. They come from many surrounding districts. On the other hand the weavers do not know the marketing channel, consumer likings and disliking, and contemporary demand of bazaar. So the designs are not developed. Industry insiders are considering the necessity of introducing marketing knowledge, consumer demand and other modern technology on this industry so that the industry gets its massive flow. The master craftsmen can create design by dint of innovative ideas and creative faculties. A large number of weavers are still uneducated and far from formal educational opportunities. Even they have no vocational training and practical knowledge on modern textile industry. Nevertheless, the creative ideas of this weaver community are so elegant and excellent that many artistic and gorgeous designs are appearing and crafting an aesthetic art. There are no written documents for the innumerable motif used in Jamdani. However, the major problem is that the weavers do not get adequate wages for their labour. Although master and senior weavers get high wages, the conditions of junior weavers and labours know no bound. In this circumstance, young generation is not enthusiastic to start their professional life through this ancient art. Otherwise, the weavers do not obtain enough support from the government and NGOs. The weavers are not capable of taking Short and Medium Entrepreneurs SME loans as this industry is not regarded as SMEs category. Experts consider this industry can be regarded as SME since the constructions, production, labour cost and other features are similar to SME definition. Conversely, some organisations and enthusiastic entrepreneurs have been taking reviving initiatives for protecting this industry. In a bid to avoid the middleman they established direct contact with weavers. A jamdani production center has been established near Dhaka. A number of women entrepreneurs are the masterminds for reviving this artistic industry. They have set up exclusive outlets in various parts of the city including the posh areas. They have been promoting Jamdani by showcasing the magnificence of the weave through their business enterprises and stores. Side by side with doing business, they have been providing significant support to the hundreds of Jamdani weavers by working with and marketing their products throughout Bangladesh and beyond.

Current problems
According to a national daily, a senior taanti or "ostad" earns about Tk 2,500 to Tk 3,000 per month. Junior weavers get much less, around Tk 1,600. As a result many weavers do not want their children to come to this profession. For many, the garments industry offer a lucrative alternative. Thankfully, the government and other organizations are trying to revive the old glory of Dhakai Jamdani. In a bid to avoid the middlemen, they are trying to establish direct contact with the weavers. A Jamdani Palli has been established near Dhaka. Jamdani, one of the oldest forms of cottage industry in Bangladesh, was once was a dying trade. It was successfully revived due to the pioneering work of entrepreneurs such as Monira Emdad. Tangail Saree Kutir along with other sari stores on Baily Road, strive to support the thousands of weavers of Bangladesh who have struggled to keep this age old tradition and fashion alive. Organizations like Radiant Institute of Design, Shanto Mariam University of creative technology,National Intitute of Design(NID) etc. are helping designers create new Jamdani designs. Jamdani has never gone out of style. Even today, Jamdani is equally valued It has and it always will symbolize aristocracy. The demand for quality Jamdani Sarees have increased exponentially over the years. New entrepreneurs like Zarif Fashion design Jamdani saree as party saree with combination of embroidery and hand karchupi works.

Conclusion
It is now important to develop the designs and improve the quality of the fabrics. In doing so, it is important to provide high quality input at a reasonable price, withdraw VAT on the imported raw materials, ensure fast and dynamic property of dying, arrange and provide pre-weaving and post-weaving services on yearn and cloth, and impart vocational training to the weavers for their skill development. It is also pertinent to participate in various textile fairs and trade fairs at home and abroad, develop institutional marketing system, preservation of jamdani fabrics, and product promotion. All these facilities would transform the jamdani industry into a profitable industry, and it will then be capable of competing with readymade garments RMG and textile industry. Similarly, the infrastructural development of Jamdani Pollis (Jamdani villages) is necessary. The industry has been concentrated on the banks of the river Shitalakkha. It is essential to protect environmental factors also.