The earliest known reference to the muslin fabric is in Chanakya’s Arthashastra from the 4th century BC. Over the centuries many travellers from the Roman Empire, Greece, Egypt and England have referred to this superior cotton from Bengal in their memoirs. During the Mughal rule in India, the muslins from Dhaka received royal patronage and clothes made of this fabric were a sign of royalty and nobility. The Portuguese, Dutch and English traders imported these textiles from India into much of Europe. The fabrics were prized for their quality and were used to make fashionable gowns and dresses. Trade with the Middle-East, China, Japan and other regions in Asia also flourished. However, during the 18th century, the British monopolised the textile trade with Bengal and squeezed other European and Asian traders out of the region. In turn, they forcibly lowered the prices paid to weavers to purchase their textiles. This led to a gradual decline in the textile manufacturing industry in Bengal. The final blow to the Muslin trade was caused by the industrial revolution in Britain when cheaper, machine-made goods from Britain flooded the market, and resulted in the eventual death of the legendary fine Muslin textiles of Bengal.
"The Muslin fabric is produced from a superior variety of cotton that was native to a region around Dhaka along the Brahmaputra River. The quality of the soil, level of moisture and other environmental factors also contribute to the development of the legendary muslin cotton plant. The threads produced from this cotton plant are both soft and strong and are woven by hand into the amazingly fine and beautiful muslin fabrics. Special skills evolved over the ages and passed down through the generations are used in the spinning and weaving of the exotic muslin fabric. Muslins are categorized based on the degree of fineness of the fabric: Mulmul Khas (or king’s muslin) is the finest variety, of which an entire dress or sari can pass through a ring. Abrawan (or running water) is the second-best variety of muslin, the one which led Emperor Aurangzeb to chastise his daughter for being immodestly clad even when she was draped in seven layers of muslin! Shabnam (or evening dew), Circar Ali (or supreme ruler) and Tunzeb (or ornament of the body) are the names given to the third, fourth and fifth best varieties of Muslin."
After a long period of decline, today some of the muslin weaving industry is being revived in West Bengal and Bangladesh by governments, non-governmental organizations and research groups. Efforts are on to revive and promote many of the lost techniques and traditional methods of weaving and textile production. Through these efforts, the rich history of Bengal Muslin is once again finding its way back to the wider consciousness of people around the world.
West Bengal produces nearly 55% of the Muslin produced in India. Though big efforts were made to revive the fine Muslin that was known worldwide, it has so far been possible to create only the 500 Count Muslin, compared to the 1400-1800 Count of yore. The entire process of spinning and weaving needs immense skill and patience and only a very small quantity of the 500 Count is produced in some areas of West Bengal, namely Nabadwip in Nadia, Kalna in Burdwan and in Murshidabad, Birbhum and Bankura. Cotton khadi yarn beyond 100 threads is considered to be Muslin Khadi. And Muslin Khadi can be produced upto 500 Count or more.
