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A Pakistani rug ( ur, پاکستانی قالین, translit=Pakistani Qaleen), also known as Pakistani carpet ( ur, پاکستانی فرش, translit=Pakistani Farsh), is a type of handmade floor-covering heavy textile traditionally made in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
and is used for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purposes. Rug/carpet weaving is an essential part of
Pakistani culture The Culture of Pakistan ( ur, ) is very unique in terms of its social values revolving around the religion of Islam. The region has formed a distinct cultural unit within the main cultural complex of South Asia, Middle East and Central Asia ...
and
Pakistani art ] Pakistani art ( ur, ) has a long tradition and history. It consists of a variety of art forms, including painting, sculpture, calligraphy, pottery, and textile arts such as woven silk. Geographically, it is a part of Indian subcontinent art, inc ...
.


History

The art of weaving developed in the region comprising Pakistan at a time when few other civilizations employed it. Excavations at Moenjodaro and Harappa - ancient cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, Indus Valley civilization - have established that the inhabitants used spindles and spun a wide variety of weaving materials. Some historians consider that the Indus Valley civilization first developed the use of woven textiles.Ancient Textiles of the Indus Valley Region, by Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, published 2004 (in Tana Bana: The woven soul of Pakistan by Koel Publications, Karachi), University of Wisconsin, Madison

/ref>First Evidence of Cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh, Pakistan: Analysis of Mineralized Fibres from a Copper Bead, published 2002, Journal of Archaeological Science

/ref> Carpet weaving may have been introduced into the area of present-day Pakistan as far back as the eleventh century with the coming of the first Muslim conquerors, the Turkic Ghaznavids and the Afghan Ghaurids. It can with more certainty be traced to the beginning of List of Mughal emperors, the Mughal Dynasty in the early sixteenth century, when the last successor of Timur,
Babur Babur ( fa, , lit= tiger, translit= Bābur; ; 14 February 148326 December 1530), born Mīrzā Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad, was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan through his ...
, extended his rule from
Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
, Afghanistan to
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
,
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
and founded the
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
. Under the patronage of the Mughals, local craftsmen adopted
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
techniques and designs. Carpets woven in the
Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
at that time (often called Lahore carpets today) made use of motifs and decorative styles found in Mughal architecture. During the Mughal period, the carpets made on the
South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
became so famous that demand for them spread abroad. These carpets boasted distinctive designs and high knot densities. Carpets made for the Mughal emperors, including
Jahangir Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ear ...
and
Shah Jahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...
, were of the finest quality. Under Shah Jahan's reign, Mughal carpet-weaving took on a new aesthetic and entered its classical phase. The carpets woven in Lahore were the first to reach European markets, including
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, as far back as Seventeenth century. During the British colonial era, prison weaving was established in district and female jails in cities such as
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
and
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
. Carpet-weaving outside of jails was revived after the
independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
when Pakistan's carpet-weaving industry flourished.Excerpts from the book, Oriental Rugs, by John Kimberly Mumford, published 1900, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York

/ref> At present, Pakistani rug is one of the country's leading export products. Hand-knotted rug manufacture is Pakistan's second-largest cottage and small industry. The craftsmen have the capacity to produce any type of carpet using all the popular motifs of guls, medallions, paisleys (botehs), traceries, and geometric designs in various combinations.Stone, Peter F. The Oriental Rug Lexicon. Seattle:
University of Washington Press The University of Washington Press is an American academic publishing house. The organization is a division of the University of Washington, based in Seattle. Although the division functions autonomously, they have worked to assist the universit ...
, 1997.


Types of Pakistani rugs

* Paki Persian Persian-inspired curvilinear and/or floral designs, usually styled from old Kashan, Kirman, Isfahan, Tabriz, Hunting, Tree of Life, Mahal and Sultanabad rugs. Woven with Senneh (Persian) knot. * Bokhara Ghiordes (Turkish) knot, geometric Tekke design. Pakistani Bokhara rugs are woven in many colors, ranging from classical reds to vibrant greens and golds. * Jaldar Inspired from traditional Sarouk and Yamud designs that originated in Pakistan; it employs diamond-shaped gul motif repeated in rows. woven with Ghiordes knot. * Pak Gabbeh A Pak Gabbeh is very similar in character to Persian Gabbeh and has modern contemporary designs. Normally woven with handspun wool and vegetable with both Senneh and Ghiordes knot. * Chobi Often referred as Ziegler, Oushak or Peshawar, Chobi rugs employ handspun wool and natural dyes. Floral patterns and usually woven with Senneh knot in Pakistan. * Caucasian Traditional geometric design of Caucasus. Ghiordes knot. * Shal Derived from traditional shawl designs of old Persia. * Lahore Lahore became a prominent weaving center during the time of British rule, and they furthered the traditional weaving through various means including weaving rugs in Lahore's jail. Most of the rugs produced at that time are commonly referred as Lahore rugs. *
Dhurrie A dhurrie (also dhurri, durrie, durry or dari) is an Indian and Pakistani term for a handwoven rug or a thin flat carpet, an item of home furnishing. The dhurries have unique designs inspired by the state of origin such as multicolor stripes, ...
Dhurrie is a type of flat-woven rug traditionally woven with wool and cotton in most parts of Pakistan.


Weaving centers

Today, hand-knotted carpets are produced all over Pakistan with major centers established around bigger cities.


Balochistan


Gilgit-Baltistan


Khyber Pakhtunkhwa


Punjab


Sindh


See also

* Afghan carpet *
Oriental rug An oriental rug is a heavy textile made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purposes and produced in " Oriental countries" for home use, local sale, and export. Oriental carpets can be pile woven or flat woven without pile, using v ...
* Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association


References


Further reading

* (see index)


External links


Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters AssociationTypes of Pakistani rugsPakistan Rugs
{{Rugs and carpets Rugs and carpets Pakistani handicrafts Textile industry of Pakistan