SHAWLS.
MaIs, Chales, . . . FR. Chales, . . . . PORT. Schalen, . . . . GER. Schavalos, . . . . SP. Shal, GUJ., HIND., PERS. SahlYftigal, . . , . TAM. Shavali, . . . . IT. Saluvalu, . . . TEL. Kayin-rambut, MALAY.
In eastern countries the shawl is considered the most essential and graceful part of ornamental dress, and in India it was by no means unusual to pay 10,000 rupees (£1000) for one of the finest Kashmir shawls, which in all probability had cost the labour of a whole family for a lifetime. Those by far the most valuable are taken by native rulers.
In the 11 years 1850-61, the Kashmir shawls exported from India were valued as under :— 1850-51, £171,709 1854-55, £197,890 1858-59, £310,027 1851-52, 146,270 1855,56, 209,279 1859-60, 252-828 1852-53, 215,659 1856-57, 290,640 1860-61, 351-093 1853-54, 170-153 1857-58, 227,618 Of the above, 80 per cent. was shipped to the United Kingdom, Suez, the Arabian and Persian Gulfs,—America, France, and China taking the remaining part. The imports and exports in latter years were as under:— Although in many branches of textile manufac ture Europe has outstripped her oriental teacher, there is still found among the workmen of the east a degree of taste in the adjustment of their designs, an amount of skill applied to the getting up of the fabric and the blending of patterns, and colours so aptly combined, as to leave nothing to be desired, but rather to show that what Europe is now arriving at in arts design by the aid of scientific teachings, has been practised amongst those ancient races during the last thousand years. The correct principle which science has laid dowm. in the schools of the west, that the patterns and colours of woven goods should diversify plain surfaces without disturbing the impression of flatness, has evidently been known to them from the earliest times. Nor is it in this alone that the workmen of the east excel ; they are equally celebrated for the rich and varied beauty of their patterns, and the strict appro priateness of these to the colours employed. Foremost amongst the woven fabrics are the worldjfamed shawls, the finest of which, in spite of many imitations in Europe, are still produced in the vale of Kashmir. From the neck and
underpart of the body of the wool goat is taken the fine flossy silk-like wool, which 11.1,,oarked up into those beautiful shawls with an exqtilite taste and skill, which all the mechanical ingenuity of Europe has never been able to imitate with more than partial success.
From the Ayin Akbari, written in the 16th century, we gather that the emperor Akbar en couraged the manufacture of these shawls by every means in his power, even designing some himself, and introducing a greater and richer variety of colours in their patterns. The same work informs us of the extension of this manu facture to the State of Lahore, where it is said there were then 1000 manufactories employed on them. A mixture of wool and silk for turbands is also spoken of. Akbar was very fond of woollen stuffs, especially of shawls. He ordered four kinds to be made. First, Toos Assal, which is wool in general grey, inclining to red, though some are perfectly white, and these shawls are incompar able for lightness, warmth, and softness. Formerly they were always made with wooLin its original state, but His Majesty 1.ad some of them dyed, and it was said that they will not take a red colour. Secondly, Safed Alcheh, which they also called Terehdar. The natural colours of the wool are white and black, and they wove three sorts of thern,—white, black, and grey. Formerly there were not above three or four different colours for shawls, but Akbar had them made of various hues. Third, Zerody, Gulabatun, Kishydeh, the Thindhenun, Cheet, Alcheli, and the I'urzdar, which were of His Majesty's invention. Fourth, from being sbort pieces, lie had them made long enough for Jamahs. His Majesty introduced the custom of wearing two shawls, one under the other, which is a considerable addition to their beauty. By the attention of Akbar, the manu facture of shawls in Kashmir was in a very flourishing state, and in Lahore there were up wards of 1000 manufacturers of this kind. They also made an imitation of shawls with the warp of silk and the woof of wool, and this kiud were called Mayan. Of both kinds were made turbands, etc.