Jamdani

Jamdani (Bengali: জামদানি) is one of the finest muslin textiles of Bengal, produced in Dhaka District, Bangladesh for centuries.

The historic production of jamdani was patronized by imperial warrants of the Mughal emperors. Under British colonialism, the Bengali jamdani and muslin industries rapidly declined due to colonial import policies favoring industrially manufactured textiles. In more recent years, the production of jamdani has witnessed a revival in Bangladesh.

The traditional art of weaving jamdani has been declared by UNESCO as a Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Etymology

Jamdani was originally known as Dhakai named after the city of Dhaka, one of many ancient textile weaving centers in Bengal region. Under the Mughal Empire the Persian term Jamdani came to be in popular use, since it was the court language of the Mughals. The term Jamdani is Persian deriving from 'Jam', meaning flower, and 'Dani', a vase or a container, named after decorative floral patterns found on Dhakai textile. Jamdanis are popularly known as Dhakai Jamdani or simply Dhakai. The earliest mention of jamdani and its development as an industry is found into Dhaka, Bangladesh.