''Gulbadan'' (silk cloth) was a kind of striped silk produced in
Hindustan
''Hindūstān'' ( English: /ˈhɪndustæn/ or /ˈhɪndustɑn/, ; ) was a historical region, polity, and a name for India, historically used simultaneously for northern Indian subcontinent and the entire subcontinent, used in the modern day ...
. The gulbadan ( literal meaning a
body
Body may refer to:
In science
* Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space
* Body (biology), the physical material of an organism
* Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anim ...
like the
rose
A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...
) was a light textured cloth of
silk
Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
and cotton. Gulbadan has vertical variegated
stripes with a different color than the base color of the cloth. In appearance, it was similar to a glazed
calico
Calico (; in British usage since 1505) is a heavy plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. It may also contain unseparated husk parts. The fabric is far coarser than muslin, but less coarse and thick than ...
, unlike ''Mashru'', which has the satin (lustrous) surface.The contemporary silk
piece goods
Piece goods were the textile materials sold in cut pieces as per the buyer's specification. The piece goods were either cut from a fabric roll or produced with a certain length, also called yard goods. Various textiles such as cotton, wool, silk, ...
were ''Daryai'' (plain silk) and ''Dhupehan'' (shot silk). Gulbadan was available in many color combinations and sizes. Gulbadan of
Amritsar
Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
and
Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
were famous. "Sufi" was another name for Gulbadan striped fabric.
A type Sohren Gulbadan was prepared with specific dimensions, i.e., 36 feet long and 1 foot and 4 inches wide.
Texture
Unlike its name, the fabric was ordinary and usually thick. The surface feels like a peach with no to less luster.
Use
Gulbadan was mainly used for
pajamas
Pajamas (American English) or pyjamas ( Commonwealth English), sometimes colloquially shortened to PJs, jammies, jim-jams, or in South Asia, night suits, are several related types of clothing worn as nightwear or while lounging. Pajamas are ...
.
Sohren Gulbadan was used in ladies' shirts and trousers.
See also
*
Kimkhwab
*
Alacha
Alacha ('lacha' or 'alacha' or 'elatches' or 'alaja', ) is a lightweight striped cloth made primarily of silk, sometimes cotton, or a mixture of both. The stripe pattern was evident on both sides of the fabric. A typical length of alacha is five y ...
*
Sangi (cloth)
Sangi was a kind of silk produced in Hindustan. It was a mixed woven cloth, a common cloth in the nineteenth century. The fabric was constructed with a cotton warp and a silk weft, or vice versa.
Name
Sangi is derived from the word , which mean ...
References
Silk
Woven fabrics
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