The valley of Kashmir is considered to be a treasure trove of arts and crafts. While every region tends to have its own distinct and special arts and crafts, Kashmiri carpets, shawls, papier-mâché objects and copperware are recognized worldwide for their fine quality and craftsmanship.
The Kashmiri crafts flourished when Hazrat Shah I Hamdaan , Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani (RA), came to the valley from Iran in the mid 14th century. He brought along with him 700 artisans from Iran. These artisans were brought to teach the local Kashmiris various art forms.
Quoting Mohibul Hassan , with reference to his book “Kashmir under the sultans,
‘ During the sultanate period , other than salt , shawl wool – was the most important thing to be imported .
From the Mughal accounts, it was known that the shawls were exported to all parts of the world and there were thousands of shawl factories , however the exact number cannot be drawn from the chronicles, but it is said that during the era of the king Akbar, 2000 shawl factories existed. Most importantly ,the taxation system was highly rigid during this period”.
After the Mughals , the Afghans left no stone unturned in extracting taxes from masses despite all atrocities and heavy taxation – this period saw a rise of the introduction of daag shawl by one of the Afghan governors , this broke the backs of already burdened people .
The major injustice happened to people during the dogra period , when millions of shawl weavers resisted against dogras tooth and nail in 1847 , where approximately 4000 shawl weavers observed a strike against the exploitation by dogra rulers . This was the first strike observed by workers anywhere in the world . Soon after , many of them decided to migrate to lahore via shopian .
Not only the custom duty tax , but the raw material and the import of wool from ladakh was also taxed. According to some historians , 300 percent tax was imposed on shawls which completely destroyed the shawl industry. At that time , a single shawl industry could employ 1,25000 workers inclusive of weavers , washermen and skilled labourers having the know-how of embroideries and printing. The industry generated more than 50 lakhs annually .
1865 was the year when, shawls from the valley made of fine lustrous wool dominated the European fashion world from late eighteenth century through the third quarter of the nineteenth, empress Josephine is seen gracing the shawl in paintings, Claude Monet’s 1868 portrait of Madame gaudibert in a large and a colourful Kashmiri shawl is one of the last of a long series of paintings of fashionable women wearing these garments. The earliest detailed account of Kashmiri shawl industry is written by William Moore Croft, which states that apparently twelve or more specialists were employed in making of a single drape.
Raw pashmina wool is transported from other regions of the valley after the shedding season. The first needle work shawl (Amli ) , has been attributed to Khwaja Yusuf , an Armenian shawl merchant who was sent to kashmir as an agent of a firm in Constantinople .
Decline : Fight for survival
The entire process of making the shawls of high quality has been in decline due to the industrial revolution.
More and more of these pieces are being produced in mass quantities in other countries in mechanized textile mills, even though they are of inferior quality relative to hand woven ones.
To clarify this , in 2020 – the G.I tags were introduced by the government of india ( geographical indication ) which is now necessary to be marked for each pashmina shawl justifying its purity. The revival of this industry is of utmost importance as it would provide livelihood to thousands of weavers in the valley.
Today, Kashmiri handicraft artisans are fighting for survival as the slump in the business has not only resulted in unemployment but they also fail to pay the loan given to them under the artisan credit card.
Because of the consecutive lockdown for years in the valley, which resulted in a dropping tourist season, the Kashmiri handicraft business has been in vague and so is the life of Kashmiri artisans in the workshops. Because of the economic recession, the businessmen today can’t repay their investments and so they are left with nothing to satisfy their artisans.
“I have been working on a shawl for three years now and can not say when it will be ready.I am not satisfied with the amount my master has given me, but who is to blame. I am fully aware of the financial issues they are coping up with,” says Bilal Ahmad, a shawl artisan.
Revival : in the year 1972, a separate directorate for handicrafts was constituted with the aim to support the artisans engaged with the handicrafts in Kashmir and minimize the impact of problems on this sector.
It also aimed to eradicate the exploitation of the craftsmen and help to maintain the quality of the crafts. To encourage the artisans associated with handicrafts and promote this industry, various initiatives have been taken at the local and national levels that include establishing a carpet cluster in Srinagar area, obtaining a Geographical indication for Sozni embroidery, Pashmina and Kani shawl and starting a skill development scheme for craftsmen.
In the year 1975, J&K Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (SICOP) was set up for the promotion and development of the small scale industries in Jammu and Kashmir, However, in the year 2020, the Lieutenant Governor of the newly formed Union Territory proposed the closure of SICOP and proposed that the Jammu and Kashmir State Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO) should manage the industrial estates of Union Territory, which was the nodal agency for the promotion and development of medium and large scale industries.
Jammu and Kashmir Directorate of Handicrafts provides financial as well as technical assistance to the artisans/youth to set up industrial units under different schemes. There are more than 55 training centres set up across Jammu and Kashmir to train about 8500 people per annum.
Conclusion :
Not only the government but each Kashmiri and connoisseurs on a personal note are seen contributing for its revival where they not only collect and store antique pashmina shawls but also , some exotic papier machie and copperware .
