History of Kashmiri Art And Textile Weavers :

“The heaven on Earth”, a title which the northern most state of India has been relishing for years now is already endowed with a spectacle of natural beauty in all its magnificence, the people of Kashmir carry with them a tradition so beautiful and rich, that it has mesmerized the entire world. The textile tradition in Kashmir has a glorious history of world-renowned tapestry that is popular among many. Be it the Kani shawls or the Amlikar needle work, even today the hand-woven textile products are a specialty of the many Kashmiri skilled weavers.

History of Kashmiri Art and Textile Weavers :

In Kashmir, the earliest records of tapestry designs go back as far as the seventh century. In the sixteenth century Mughal period, however there was a boom in the popularity of Kashmiri shawls in the country. Primarily worn by Kings and royal courtiers, the uniquely gifted work of many weavers found its ways beyond South Asia in this period. It was only in mid-1800s, that the Kashmiri shawls became popular among the European elite mainly the French. In the late eighteenth century, the industrial age appeared, which bestowed a certain global acknowledgement to this ancient art-form.

The Emperor Akbar was a great admirer of the shawls of Kashmir it was he who began the fashion of wearing them in duplicate, sewn back to back, so that the under surfaces of the shawls were never seen (Do-shalla). During that time the most desired shawls were those worked in gold and silver thread or shawls with border ornamented with fringes of gold, silver and silk thread. Also, the Kashmir carpet industry is famous the world over. Kashmiri carpets are loved not only by the people of India but also by people in other countries. It is believed that the art of weaving Kashmiri carpets originated in Persia. Usually either silk or wool is used in making carpets.

Art And Textile Before And After Independence :

The skill and the mastery of art has run through countless generations among the shawl-makers. Primarily it were the women folk who used to carry out every part of shawl-making process. From cleaning of raw fleece to the entire needle work. Many of them have been able to pass down some amazing talent to their children and the art has survived through years mainly through safe-keeping by the new generation.

In its early time, the amazing skills for shawl makers were largely unrewarded as weavers were left counting the pennies, and the middlemen used to make a fortune by marketing it abroad. These days, the art is more commercialized and though it has brought sufficient appreciation to the real skill, dilution in the quality of work has occurred. Many weaver still prefer hand-woven style of shawl making as finding the quality wool is also imperative.

However, the customers these days have grown more vigilant as demand for a quality level Kashmiri shawl is relentless. Thirty thousand rural workers still weave and embroider Kashmiri shawls, which remain a status symbol in India. Another forty thousand weavers produce hand-woven fabrics, and the total output makes Kashmir one of India’s leading producers of handloom textiles. Men wear shawls with patterns expressed in tapestry weave over a twilled ground, mostly made of Pashmina, goat’s wool.

Worldwide Demand For Kashmiri Art And Textile :

With a huge demand in national as well as international markets, Pashmina shawls are the leading and most sought after handicraft of Jammu and Kashmir. These shawls are liked by most tourists due to their vibrant designs and variety of stitching work.

Here are the different categories of Jammu and Kashmir handicrafts: Shawls, Carpets, Papier Mache, Wood Carving, Walnut wooden crafts, Namdas, Basketry, Crewel, Chain Stitch, Gabba. Willow, Copperware, Khatumbandh.

The popularity as well as the importance of Kashmiri Shawls in the handicraft market of Jammu and Kashmir is very old. These delicate shawls are soft and comfortable to use and has a great demand in the international market.The popularity of the Kashmir’s art and craft is high, also because of world-renowned handmade Kashmiri Carpets. These carpets are unique because they are made with hand without any use of machine. The artisans use yarn that is mostly silk, wool or a combination of the two for making these carpets. The very fine finishing of the carpets makes them worthy of the exorbitant price that are charged for a single carpet. Of the various crafts being produced in Kashmir, Wood Carving is the best-known craft. This craft can be seen in the cottage industries in the valley.

However, it is a sad fact that this beautiful industry (especially of Kashmiri carpets) is dying a slow death. The artisans whose families have been engaged in the preparation of carpets for generations are slowly turning to other professions on account of the low profitability involved in carpet making.

 Nearly 90% of the demand for carpets in the country is met by the carpet-producing units in Amritsar, Rajasthan, Agra, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Export of Kashmiri garments has gone down. Figures indicate that the export of carpets was 400 quintals in the year 1973-74, which rose to 5750 quintals in the year 1995-96. This again went down to 650 quintals in 1999-2000. The major export markets for these carpets are USA, Germany, UK, Australia and Canada.

Some of the major reasons behind the lack of growth of the Kashmir carpet industry are lack of financial resources, lack of modern technology, availability of duplicate Kashmiri carpets, lack of training as well as lack of innovations. Artisans are nowadays trying to experiment with different types of fabrics and designs so as to breathe new life into the industry.

State of The Artisans And The Weavers :

Following the history of Kashimiri art and textile weavers, weavers have produced exquisite shawls in Kashmir for centuries, but their craft risks dying out in the face of cheap foreign imports and a young generation uninterested in mastering the skill. Kashmir gave its name to the soft cashmere wool that commands huge prices in the West, but especially in Hidayat Ullah’s village there are now only 10 paddle looms, known as khadis, where once there were 100.

Future Of Kashmiri Arts And Textiles :

After Kashmir’s special status is gone (waiving off 370 and 35(A)), people from anywhere in India will be able to buy property and permanently settle in the state. This has fuelled fear in the mind of Kashmiris — they think it would lead to the state’s demographic transformation from majority Muslim to majority Hindu. This has also instilled a fear in the people concerning their own livelihood, especially when it comes to trusting people. Their entire lives being revolved around keeping the heritage and culture intact through the hard work put in, comes under a dangerous spotlight since all of the work depended on middlemen communication, which is now threatened as the section is being revoked.

Secondly, the handloom sector has been hit hard since the power loom industry had a major boom. The greed for profits, and with supplies of hand-spun yarn and hand-woven shawls falling short of the growing demand, it has led to a proliferation of power looms in Kashmir, threatening the handloom tradition. It’s a similar saddening story for the carpet industry as well.

After-effects can go either way. It might even benefit the handloom sector because of the recent bifurcation and possession of their own rights as permanent residents of the newly formed Union Territory and the Indian government’s plan and vision to develop and bring benefits to the regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.