Salu (variously transcribed in English as ''sālū'', ''saloo'', and archaically, ''shallee'', ''shalloo'', ''shella'', and ''sallo'') is a type of

twill Twill is a type of textile weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs. It is one of three fundamental types of textile weaves along with plain weave and satin. It is made by passing the weft thread over one or more warp threads then under ...

cloth, woven from

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

and dyed red, originally made in India. Prior to the introduction of modern industrial techniques, it was produced exclusively hand spun (''

khaddar Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Mahatma Gandhi as ''swadeshi'' (self-sufficiency) for the freedom struggle of the Indian subcontinent, and the term is used throughout India, Pakistan ...

'') yarns with locally-available dyes. Salu is one of seven cotton cloths explicitly mentioned in the 16th century Mughal record ''

Ain-i-Akbari The ''Ain-i-Akbari'' ( fa, ) or the "Administration of Akbar", is a 16th-century detailed document recording the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abu'l Fazl in the Persian language. It for ...

'', together with '' khasa'', '' tansukh'', ''doriya'', '' bafta'', ''dupatta'', and ''

panchtoliya ''Panchtoliya'' was an old cotton cloth of the Mughal Empire, Mughal period. The Panchtoliya was very light in weight and used for the veil. It was weighing only 2-5 tola (one tola is 10 grams) per piece. The credit of Panchtoliya goes to the Mugh ...

''.

History & description

Salu appears to be an ancient fabric; trade references to the Persian market from

Hindustan ''Hindūstān'' ( , from '' Hindū'' and ''-stān''), also sometimes spelt as Hindōstān ( ''Indo-land''), along with its shortened form ''Hind'' (), is the Persian-language name for the Indian subcontinent that later became commonly used by ...

in the 14th century are documented in the '' Divan-i-Albisa'' by

Mawlānā Mawlānā (; from Arabic ( ar, مولانا), also spelled as maulana or molana (Urdu, from Arabic mawlānā), is a title, mostly in Central Asia and in the Indian subcontinent, preceding the name of respected Muslim religious leaders, in partic ...

Mahmud Nizan Qari. According to a 16th-century

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 ...

record (Ain-i -Akbari), Salu cost two

mohur The Mohur is a gold coin that was formerly minted by several governments, including British India and some of the princely states which existed alongside it, the Mughal Empire, Kingdom of Nepal, and Persia (chiefly Afghanistan). It was usually ...

per

piece Piece or Pieces (not to be confused with peace) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Piece (chess), pieces deployed on a chessboard for playing the game of chess * ''Pieces'' (video game), a 1994 puzzle game for the Super NES * P ...

at that time. The original ''salu'' was made in India from materials sourced entirely in India, but a

dyeing Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular ...

process introduced by refugees from the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

using

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

-made cloth called ''mārkīn'' ("American") later became common India. Accordingly, ''salu'' has also been described as a red-colored ''mārkīn'' cloth by certain sources. Salu is distinguished by its red color, which is achieved through the use of Indian madder (''rubia cordiofolia'') in a red shade.

Turkey red Turkey red is a color that was widely used to dye cotton in the 18th and 19th century. It was made using the root of the rubia plant, through a long and laborious process. It originated in India or Turkey, and was brought to Europe in the 1740s ...

is one of the

alizarin Alizarin (also known as 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone, Mordant Red 11, C.I. 58000, and Turkey Red) is an organic compound with formula that has been used throughout history as a prominent red dye, principally for dyeing textile fabrics. Histori ...

colours that can be extracted from Indian madder.

Baden Henry Powell Baden Henry Powell, latterly (by the 1891 census if not before) known as Baden Henry Baden-Powell, CIE FRSE (born 23 August 1841 - died 2 January 1901), was an English civil servant in Bengal who served as a conservator of forests in Punjab a ...

mentioned ''salu'' as a

madder ''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae family of flowering plants, which also contains coffee. It contains around 80 species of perennial scrambling or climbing herbs and subshrubs native to the Old World. The genus and its best-known spe ...

dyed Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular ...

cloth in his book ''Hand-book of the economic products of the Punjab, with a combined index and glossary of technical vernacular words.''

Variations

* ''Kharua'' was another red cloth that was coarser in texture than salu. * ''Mahyu-salu'' was a type from

Mau, Uttar Pradesh Mau, also now known as Maunath Bhanjan, is an industrial town and the headquarter of the Mau district. It is located in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, India. The town is known for its saree industry which is a traditional business and centu ...

Use

''Salu'' is used as a foundation cloth for

embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...

alongside variants such as ''markin'', which is slightly coarser than ''salu''. ''Salu'' is also used in ''

kantha Kantha also spelled kanta, and qanta, is a type of embroidery craft in the Bangladesh and eastern regions of India, particularly in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Odisha. In Odisha, old saris are stacked on each other and hand-stit ...

'', which is an embroidery craft in

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

. Embroidered with silk threads, it is a popular type in Punjabi weddings. The famous red ''salu'' was used for ladies' dresses, borders of ladies coats, turbans, and curtains. It is also known as Saloo in

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 ...

and is also used as a

veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has been prominent ...

or wrapper.

Other cultures

* Nupe ladies were also noted for their use of ''salu'', a red cloth. * ''Salu'' was given to Dogra ladies in dowry.

Notes

References

{{Reflist Woven fabrics Embroidery in India

History & description

Variations

Use

Other cultures

See also

Notes

References