Nillae (nillaes) was an Indian term for a type of blue colored cloth. It was either entirely made of silk or a blend of silk and cotton with a blue striped pattern. Nillaess were produced in a variety of beautiful hues. Midnapore and Balasore both were producing the cloth.
Etymology
editThe term is derived from the Hindi word 'Nila,' which means 'blue.'[1][2]
Quotes
editstriped cloth of mixed Tussur silk and cotton, occasionally flowered
— (Irwin and Schwartz)[3]: 310the sort that are finest and most Glossy and striped with the lightest colours as hair colour, sky colour and the like, but those that are Red and Tauny ground striped with black are not vendible
— (Irwin and Schwartz)[4]: 310
Exports
editIn the seventeenth century, Nillaes were among the notable Indian goods exported from Bengal.[5][6][7][8] Records suggest that Samuel Rowland Fisher ordered 15 pieces of Nillaes in 1767 with a price of 17 Shilling per piece.[7]
See also
edit- Salu (cloth), a red cloth.
References
edit- ^ Mahapatra, Pinakiranjan (1967). "Textile Industry of Orissa (1550-1750)". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 29: 294–306. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 44155512.
- ^ University of Manila Journal of East Asiatic Studies. University of Manila. 1959. p. 50.
- ^ Montgomery, Florence M. (1984). Textiles in America 1650-1870 : a dictionary based on original documents, prints and paintings, commercial records, American merchants' papers, shopkeepers' advertisements, and pattern books with original swatches of cloth. Internet Archive. New York; London : Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-01703-8.
- ^ Montgomery, Florence M. (1984). Textiles in America 1650-1870 : a dictionary based on original documents, prints and paintings, commercial records, American merchants' papers, shopkeepers' advertisements, and pattern books with original swatches of cloth. Internet Archive. New York; London : Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-01703-8.
- ^ Singh, Abhay Kumar (2006). Modern World System and Indian Proto-industrialization: Bengal 1650-1800. Northern Book Centre. p. 829. ISBN 978-81-7211-201-1.
- ^ Crouch, Henry (1728). A Complete View of the British Customs: Containing the Rates of Merchandize, with the Total Net Duties to be Paid Inwards, Outwards, and Coastwise, and the Drawbacks Upon Exportation, All Carefully Calculated Tho the Twentieth Part of a Penny. p. 207.
- ^ a b Montgomery, Florence M. (1984). Textiles in America 1650-1870 : a dictionary based on original documents, prints and paintings, commercial records, American merchants' papers, shopkeepers' advertisements, and pattern books with original swatches of cloth. Internet Archive. New York; London : Norton. p. 310. ISBN 978-0-393-01703-8.
- ^ Chaudhury, Sushil (2016-09-13). Companies, Commerce and Merchants: Bengal in the Pre-Colonial Era. Taylor & Francis. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-351-99755-3.