Indian Textile Traditions Overview
The Basics
Long before the Mughals or the British, India already had a well-organised textile industry. Weavers sold cloth at local fairs. At a higher level, powerful merchant guilds controlled the textile trade. In early medieval South India, weavers formed their own guilds, known as samaya pattagara, saliya samayangal, and seniya pattagara. These weavers were prosperous enough to donate money, livestock, land, and cloth to temples. Some weavers were even given managerial roles in temple finances. In return, they were exempted from taxes. The Vijayanagara period, in the 15th and 16th centuries, saw the weaving industry reach a high point. Weaver castes migrated across South India in search of patronage and markets.
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