Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c6.s2.t1.5

c6.s2.t1.5

1. *Textiles.*—The manufacture of textiles was the biggest industry of Hindustan. It included the manufacture of cotton cloth, woollen cloth, and silks. Cotton was extensively grown in the country. Wool could always be procured from mountainous tracts, though sheep were also reared in the plains. The finer qualities of woollen stuffs and furs were largely imported from outside and were almost exclusively worn by the aristocracy. Silk-worms were reared in Bengal,³ though it is not clear whether they were the true silk-worms (i.e., the mulberry-eating insect.) In any case a greater supply of silk yarn was imported. The allied industries of embroidery, gold thread work and dyeing, were also carried on in many big cities of Hindustan. On the whole the quality of Indian textile products was excellent, and the output was sufficient to meet the demands of internal consumption. Bengal and Gujarat also exported very large quantities of cotton and other goods to various countries. The manufacture of fine stuffs was limited to the demands of a small class of well-to-do people. The poorer classes, as has been explained in the previous part, used the products of their own looms and only bought fine cloth for certain festivals and for marriages and other social occasions.