The History of Bengal (Vol. I: Hindu Period; Vol. II: Muslim Period 1200–1757) v1.c19.s5.19

v1.c19.s5.19

⁴ Kautilya (Bk. II. Ch. 11) mentions *kārpāsika* or cotton fabrics manufactured in Vaṅga. According to the inscription of Vijayasena (v. 23), ordinary rural folk were familiar with seeds of cotton. The early *Charyā-padas* also refer to cotton cultivation (*BGD.* 41). Referring to the people of Bengal, Marco Polo says, "They grow cotton, in which they derive a great trade" (Yule, *Marco Polo*, II. 115).