From how many countries did Mughal clothes come from, where were the designs made?

The Mughal period is that period of Indian history, when an amazing improvement is seen not only in politics and art, but also in the world of clothing and fashion. The question often arises that where did the lavish, silk, expensive embroidered clothes of the Mughal emperors and their wives come from? The answer to this question is not just in the name of a single place, but lies in an entire trade network, artisan traditions and royal patronage.

Let us try to understand the origin of the clothes of the Mughal royal family, their sources, trade routes and what was the arrangement of the royal factories.

world of royal clothes

The clothes of Mughal emperors and queens mainly came from two sources. Fabrics and threads imported from Indian local weavers and artisan centers and abroad. The fashion of the Mughal Empire was a combination of local Indian tradition and influences from Central Asia, Persia, Türkiye and Europe. The precious clothes worn in the courts of the emperors were often woven and made in India, but the fine silk, gold and silver wires, precious colors and sometimes even ready-made clothes required for them were brought from outside.

These were the major textile centers of India.

Banaras was famous for silk sarees, brocade clothes and brocade since that time. The court attire of kings and queens, special wedding attire and heavy clothes worn on festivals were often made on the looms of Banaras. Clothes woven with fine brocade of gold and silver, in which flowers, vines and Persian motifs were imitated, were considered the pride of the Mughal court.

Gujarat was a big center of international trade at that time. Consignments of clothes used to go from Surat port to Persia, Arabia and Europe and from there many new fashions and clothes came to India. The weavers of Surat and Ahmedabad used to make cotton muslin, fine cotton, printed clothes, colorful straps (patka) and silk clothes and send them to the royal treasury. Bengal, especially Dhaka, was the home of famous muslin in that era. The light, soft, transparent dupattas, kurtis and wavy chunris of the Begums were made from Dhaka muslin.

High quality cotton muslin, brocade and artistic printed cloth were regularly supplied from Bengal for the Mughal court. There were large settlements of tailors and embroiderers in Lahore and Agra. Here, embroidery, gota and decoration were done on both imported and local clothes as per the royal orders. Woolen shawls, pashmina, brocaded woolen clothes and the king’s attire for cold weather were brought from Kashmir.

Clothes and raw materials coming from abroad

During the Mughal period, clothes and fibers came not only from India but also from outside countries. Especially the fine silk clothes of Persia (Iran), carpets, embroidered clothes, royal dresses with special weaves, clothes with Persian designs were very much liked by the Mughals. Woolen clothes, fur jackets and coats, traditional designs of cold areas came from Samarkand, Bukhara, Kabul, Kandahar etc. of Central Asia.

Special fabrics like damask, moiré, velvet, silk and fine textured textiles came from Türkiye and the Middle East. Certain types of woolen clothes, fine linen, colored silk threads, buttons, laces etc. came from Europe. These clothes and raw materials often reached India through ports like Surat, Machilipatnam, Hormuz, Basra etc., from there they were taken by land to the Mughal capital and major cities.

royal factory system, where clothes were made

Clothes were not just bought from the market and worn, but the Mughals had created an organized system of Karkhana or Karkhana-e-Khas at the royal level. The work of departments like Karkhana-e-Libas or Dar-ul-Khilaat was to oversee the designing, weaving, cutting and stitching of clothes for the royal family. Different specialists worked in these factories, like weavers, embroiderers, dyers, tailors etc.

According to the royal decree, these factories were ordered to order special clothes from different provinces. For example, if there was a royal wedding of an emperor, a big Eid party or a special court occasion, Karkhana-e-Libaas would already order brocade clothes from Banaras, muslin from Dhaka, silk and cotton mixed clothes from Gujarat, pashmina from Kashmir and get new designs prepared according to the standards of the court.

Gifts, food and clothing obtained from political connections

Clothes were not only bought or made, but were also sent to each other’s courts as diplomatic gifts (khila-at). To show respect to a governor, amir, a foreign envoy or a conquered ruler, the emperor often presented brocaded jama, expensive shawls, silk turbans etc. In return, other rulers and foreign ambassadors also sent unique designs and clothes to the royal court, which were included in the emperor’s wardrobe.Through these gifts, new styles, new clothes and designs were introduced to the court, which would later be included in the royal fashion.

Nazrana, example and fashion trend

The Mughal emperor was not only a consumer but also a fashion trendsetter. The clothes worn by the emperor in the court became the new fashion for the rich and elite class. Certain types of fabric and colors, such as royal yellow, special green, or special brocade designs, were less accessible to the common people or sometimes even banned. This also shows that the source of royal clothing was not just the market, but it was also a symbol of power, dignity and status, which was monitored at the royal level.

In this way, the clothing or attire of the Mughal emperors and begums was not the product of any one place or community, but was the result of a wide network between artisans, traders and rulers from all over India and countries outside it. This is why even today the clothes and designs of the Mughal period remain an inspiration for Indian and South Asian fashion.

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