Khasa (cloth) explained

Khasa (Cossa, Cossaes) was a high-quality variety of calico cloth that was manufactured and used for clothing in the Mughal Empire.

Name

Khasa or means special.^[1] Khasa was termed “kashak” in the Ain-i-Akbari, and was also known as 'jangal klasa' for its fine close weave.^[2] Khasa is one of seven cotton cloths named in the Ain-i-Akbari.^[3]

Features

Khasa was a cotton fabric softer than longcloth and more closely woven than muslin.^{[4] [5]} It is described as having been soft and closely woven, with a fine texture. In the 16th-century emperor Akbar's time, khasa was considered to be one of the best and most expensive types of cotton cloth.^{[6] [7]} It was commonly used for turbans in the Mughal era.^[8]

Dimensions

Khasa, like other piece goods, were produced with specific dimensions; regular khasas were having dimensions of 20 x 1 or 1.5 yards. The number of threads was in warp direction were 1400–2800 with the weight of 595 grams /pc (with 2800 threads).^[9]

Production centers

Khasa made in Sonargaon was considered to be of particularly high quality. It was also produced in Dacca, Malda, Santipore and Cossimbazar.^[10] “Rahon Khasa” was cloth produced at the town of Rahon in Punjab.^[11]

Exports

Thomas Bowrey, an English merchant and mariner in the East Indies trade in the late 17th century,^[12] described Khasa as a kind of muslin that was the cloth most commonly exported from Dhaka.^[13]

Notes and References

1. Book: Kumar, Raj. Encyclopaedia of Untouchables Ancient, Medieval and Modern. 2008. Gyan Publishing House. 978-81-7835-664-8. 222. en.
2. Book: S. B. Chakrabarti, Ranjit Kumar Bhattacharya. Indian Artisans: Social Institutions and Cultural Values. Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India, Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports, Department of Culture.. 2002. 9788185579566. 87.
3. Sangar. S. P.. 1965. FEMALE COSTUMES IN THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES (as reflected in the contemporary Hindi literature). Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 27. 243–247. 44140630. 2249-1937.
4. Book: Pawar, Appasaheb Ganapatrao. Maratha History Seminar. Shivaji University. 1971. 52.
5. Book: Johnson . Ingrid . Phyllis G. . Tortora . The Fairchild Books Dictionary of Textiles. A&C Black. 2013. 9781609015350. 327.
6. Book: Jain, Simmi. Encyclopaedia of Indian Women Through the Ages: The middle ages. Kalpaz Publications. 2003. 9788178351735. 197.
7. Book: دكتور محمد نصر. Fashion And Designing Under The Mughals Akbar To Aurangzeb. A Historical Perspective. English.
8. https://books.google.com/books?id=LmPPdg9n0IAC&q=mughal+turban+cloth+khasa Panjab University Research Bulletin: Arts - Volume 14, Issue 2 - Page 23
9. Book: Chaudhury, Sushil. Spinning Yarns: Bengal Textile Industry in the Backdrop of John Taylor's Report on 'Dacca Cloth Production' (1801). 2020-03-10. Routledge. 978-1-000-07920-3. en.
10. Book: Das, S.N.. The Bengalis. Cosmo Publications . 2002 . 9788177553925 . 57.
11. Book: Tierney Aitchison, James Edward. Hand-book of the Trade Products of Leh, with the Statistics. Wyman. 1874. 128.
12. Book: Paul, Sue. Jeopardy of Every Wind: The Biography of Captain Thomas Bowrey. Dollarbird. 2020. 9781912049622. Melton Mowbray.
13. Book: Chaudhury, Sushil. Spinning Yarns: Bengal Textile Industry in the Backdrop of John Taylor's Report on 'Dacca Cloth Production' (1801). 2020-03-10. Routledge. 52. 978-1-000-07920-3. en.