India’s pride and joy which makes it stand out on the global stage is indefinitely its handloom. Indian handloom has been around for centuries. But how well do we know about its existence? Has its history always been rich and colourful? Or have there been specks of black and grey that adds a tone of melancholy to this vibrant sector? Let’s dig deep into this so that we can understand its true value by the end of this article at the very least.
Indian Handloom: A Brief History
Having a vibrant and diverse history, Indian handloom has been around for a really long time. Some say it dates back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. There was a time in ancient India wherein every village had their own community of weavers. And these weavers ensured that all the clothing needs of each respective town were met. Because of the existence of many weaver communities that were scattered throughout India catering to a very diverse population and having different access to resources, different forms and styles of weaving on different kinds of materials came into existence.
Considered a high-standard occupation, weavers were of immense importance to the Vedics. The settlement of Aryan ensured weaving as a craft was honoured and efforts were made to develop it further. The era of the Mughals was considered the golden age for Indian craftsmanship. During their rule, handloom sarees like Sambalpuri, Banarasi, Jamawar, Maheshwari, Nuapatna Khandua, Mulmul, etc. took centre stage.
With the colonial invasion and the usage of industrial looms, the handloom sector in India saw a decline. As the British officials forced the weavers to use synthetic yarn, it led to a loss of livelihood for the spinners. And gradually weavers who were unable to afford these industrial looms lost their livelihood as well. Fortunately, this trend was reversed by Swadeshi movement. As people went back to using Khadi, there was a revival of the Indian handloom sector.
Sadly this revival was quashed once again with India’s entry into the global market. On one end India opened its door to globalisation in the 1990s and made it easier for private companies to grow. And on the other end, many traditional weavers closed their shops as they were unable to keep up with the cheap and mass-produced goods.
Significance
Due to continued efforts by the government, such as The rural employment guarantee act (MGNREGA) of 2006, the National Handloom Policy of 2007, etc. weavers’ livelihoods are protected to some extent. The handloom sector not only holds cultural significance to the country but has also made India the 3rd largest exporter of Textiles & Apparel in the world. It is one of the sectors that promoted women’s employment as over 70% of the weavers are women.
Because of its huge significance in helping our country gain freedom and ensuring that our culture is immortalized, the government of India has designated 7th August as National Handloom Day, as on that particular day in 1905 the Swadeshi Movement was launched. It celebrates the historic call to promote indigenous products during the Swadeshi movement. Spearheaded by visionary leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai, this movement held a special significance in encouraging the use of handloom and local craftsmanship, while the Indian handloom played a very integral part in deciding the fate of India’s freedom.
