Muslin, an ancient cloth from Bangladesh, renowned for its fine, gossamer finish, has a history of trade which spans as far back as to ancient Greece.
While much has been said and written about its historical significance, trade, and technique, folklore surrounding it is less frequently discussed.
In later times, the fabric was a favourite for Mughal royalty, as well for Nawabs and Raja’s across the Indian Subcontinent.
Nicknamed “baft-hawa” which means “woven air” – travellers recorded that it was so fluid that one could pull 91m through the centre of a ring.
Another said that 18m of Muslin could be fit into a pocket snuff box.
The fabric was weaved with thread so delicate that it was often invisible to older people. Hence, spinning the thread was almost exclusively done by young women.
However, after the British colonised Bengal, rumours began to spread that the cloth was weaved by mermaids.
This was not the first time the colonial gaze had doubted local craftsmanship, and it certainly would not be the last.
As Muslin took Europe by the storm, artists caricatured its elegance; everyone from the press to the doctors criticised the cloth, eroticized its wearers, and went as far as coining the name "Muslin Disease" for the influenza 1803 outbreak in Pairs.
The outbreak was more likely due to the European trend of women dampening their bodies before donning Muslin, & laws of France, restricting clothing to 3.5KG for lower-class women. In the French winter, this proved detrimental, resulting in severe cases of pneumonia.
While European folklore romanticized Muslin's origins, local narrratives are a lot more sinister. From the Biharis in Karachi to the Bengalis in Dhaka, whispers persist of British brutality.
“The thumbs of weavers were severed, so they could not make Muslin anymore.”
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