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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 23

Class XXII

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Class XXII.

Carpets.

824.A silk carpet, size about 3½ yds. square, Madras.
825.A rug, woollen, small, Shahpore.
826.

A rug, woollen, small, Shahpore.

These two rugs are woven of a Persian pattern.

827.A carpet, cotton, "Suttringee," crimson, yellow, and blue stripes, Agra, N.W. Provinces.
828.A carpet, cotton, "Suttringee," white and blue stripes, Agra, N.W. Provinces.
829.A carpet, cotton, "Suttringee," diamond-shaped spots in colours, Agra, N.W. Provinces.

The subjoined remarks on the manufacture of carpets and rugs in India are extracted from the catalogue of the Indian Department of the Exhibition of 1862:—

I.—Carpets.

The chief places in which carpets are manufactured, are Lahore, Bareilly, Jubbulpore, Gorruckpore, Mirzapore, Rungpore, and Benares, in the Presidencies of Bengal, the North-West Provinces, and the Punjab, and at Masulipatam in the Madras Presidency.

At Lahore, Mecrut, and Bareilly, the manufacture is solely carried on by prisoners in the jails; but as it has only been commenced since the introduction of the new prison discipline, the annual production is limited; so far, however, as quality is concerned, the carpets are excellent. They can be made there of any size and pattern, the average price being from seven to nine shillings per square yard. The great drawback to the exportation of carpets from the above places is the heavy expense of inland transport, which, however, will remedy itself as soon as the three great lines of railway, now in the course of construction, have been completed.

At Jubbulpore, the manufacture of carpets, rugs, and suttringees (cotton carpts), has been regularly carried on for years; chiefly in jails, whore Thugs and other prisoners are extensively employed upon them. The Jubbulpore carpets are considered of extremely good texture, and are remarkable for their cheapness. The annual consumption, though large, is limited to a comparatively small area. The nearest place to which they are at present conveyed is page 53 Mirzapore, on the Ganges, whence they are forwarded by river boats to Calcutta. The expense of transport from Jubbulpore to Calcutta, including duty and agency charges, &c., is very nearly 90 per cent, on the original cost of the articles at the place of production,

When the railway from Jubbulpore to Bombay is completed, the cost of bringing these carpets to Bombay will be reduced to about 20 per cent, on the cost price, so that a carpet costing at Jubbulpore £10 will be capable of being landed in London for £14 at the outside. The Jubbulpore School of Industry, as it is called, receives direct orders for any amount of carpets, and their fixed prices are as follows:—
Turkey carpets 4R. or 8s. 0d. per sq. yd.
Scotch carpeting 1R 8A or 3s. 0d. per yd.
33 feet wide.
Suttringees 1R 2A or 2s. 3d. per sq. yd.
Kidderminster 1R 2A or 2s. 3d. per yd.
1 yard wide.

At present, however, the places which supply the greater portion of India, as well as the export demand, are Mirzapore and Benares. There is no specific price per yard, as carpets, both at Mirzapore and Benares, are generally sold at so much a piece. The Mirzapore carpets are noted for excellent staple and durability of wear, but are dearer than those from Jubbulpore, though for purposes of export they are cheaper, as the place is situated on the Ganges, and has, therefore, the advantages of easy transport to Calcutta. When the railways come into full operation, the carpets of Mirzapore and Benares will be, in all probability, superseded by those of Meerut, Bareilly, Lahore, and Jubbulpore. The manufacture of carpets is also carried on at Gorruckpore; they are, therefore, more expensive than those of the neighbouring districts of Mirzapore and Benares. In the Madras Presidency, Masulipatam is the chief seat of the manufacture. The trade is carried on to a considerable extent, and entirely by natives, who, as in Bengal, combine it with agricultural undertakings adapted to the season of the year.

The above remarks apply exclusively to carpets not less than 10 feet square.

II.—Rugs.

The manufacture of rugs is very extensive, and comprises many localities. At Peshawur, Bareilly, Shahpore, Scalcote, and Sirsa, the manufacture is entirely confined to the jails. The places, however, where a regular manufacture and trade are carried on, arc, Benares, Mirzapore, Allahabad, and Gorruckpore in Bengal; North Arcot, Tanjore, Ellore, and Malabar in the Madras Presidency; and also at Mysore, as well as Shikarpor, Khyrpore, and Hyderabad in Sind. Those of Bengal commend themselves by extraordinary cheapness; they are extensively used throughout India, and also somewhat largely exported. In point of texture and workmanship, however, the rugs of Ellore, page 54 Tanjore, and Mysore, though they are comparatively much dearer, are greatly preferred.

The employment of rugs throughout India is most extensive, as every native who can afford to purchase one uses it to sit upon and smoke his hookah. It is impossible to form an estimate of the annual value of this manufacture, as only the small portion exported is entered in the official records, and as no steps have hitherto been taken to ascertain the local trade. The rugs made in Bengal vary in length from 3 to 3½ feet; their average width being 1¾ feet, and their value from £1 to £1 10s. The rags from Ellore, Tanjore, and Mysore are made of various sizes, and are valued from £2 to £4 each; those from Shikarpore and Khyrpore as well as from Hyderabad (Sind) are of a higher texture, but excellent workmanship; their width is generally uniform, but in length and consequent cost they vary from £2 to £5 each.

The finest articles of this description, however, are the silk rugs from Tanjore and Mysore, the blending of colours and workmanship being excellent. They are made of all sizes, even up to squares of ten feet; but being too costly for general adoption, this manufacture is very limited.

III.—Suttringees, or Cotton Carpets and Fabrics.

These fabrics, which are entirely made of cotton, may be considered a cheap substitute for woollen carpets. They are used by every one, European or native, throughout India, and the annual manufacture is consequently very considerable, especially in Bengal, where they form a large and important branch of inland trade. They are of all sizes, from that of the largest carpet to the smallest rag, but generally of one and the same pattern throughout India, the only difference being the colour. Blue and white, and red and white, stripes constitute the prevalent patterns, but in some one colour of darker and lighter hues is employed. In Meerat, Bareilly, and Patna, new patterns have of late been tried with considerable success, but, though preferred by the Europeans? are not by natives, who like the striped patterns because they wear better in daily use, and do not lose the freshness of colour by washing. The principal localities where suttringees are manufactured are Agra, Bareilly, Patna, Shahabad, Beerbhoom, and Burdwan. Those manufactured at Agra are considered the best, and the value of its annual production about £10,000. In Shahabad, the quantity manufactured last year was nearly £7,000; and the same may be assumed to have been produced in the other places above-mentioned. Suttringees vary in price according to size and quality. The small ones are valued from 3s. to 15s., and the larger ones (carpet size) from £1 10s. to £4, the price in many cases being regulated by weight.

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Mats and Matting,

830.1 Sittulputtee mat, pattern black crosses and stripes, Assam, N.E. India.
831.1 mat, figured pattern, Madras.
832.1 mat, figured pattern, Madras.
833.1 piece of matting, 5 yards long, Travancore, Madras.

The internal trade in mats is very extensive, as they are in universal use by both Europeans and natives, and are therefore made of kinds and varieties to suit everybody's taste and means. Europeans use only the better kinds of mats, and almost exclusively for the covering of floors in their houses, but natives employ them for a variety of other purposes, such as to sleep upon, smoke, &c. Every Mahomedan, however poor, after having performed the prescribed ablutions, spreads a small mat before him, while saying his prayers. The Hindoo uses it as a sort of table-cloth; in many a poor hut it constitutes the only piece of furniture perceptible.

Though mats are made in almost every part of India, the finest kinds are manufactured at Midnapore, near Calcutta. These are only manufactured to special order, but can be made of any size required. The price varies according to the size of the border, which is coloured either red or black. But besides these extremely fine mats, a description is manufactured, of which considerable numbers are exported to Madras, Bombay, Mauritius, and South Australia; these are much cheaper, and a good strong mat, about 20 feet square, may be had for £4 if plain, and £5 10s. with a black or red border. The mats next in point of fineness are those from Jessore, also in the vicinity of Calcutta, and called Sittulputtee; these, however, are never made, if Indian, of the size of an entire room-floor, but only in the shape of rugs, and have invariably a red border, sometimes also a red-flowered centre. They are generally made about 4 to 5 feet long and 2 broad, and cost from £2 to £3 each. At Hooghly, near Calcutta, an inferior kind of small mat is made, of which very large quantities are exported by the emigrants to Mauritius and Demerara, and lately several shipments have been made to New South Wales. The largest variety of small mats is, however, made in the Madras Presidency; North Arcot, and the whole of the Malabar coast, are celebrated for these handsome fabrics. There are at least 200 varieties of design and colouring, the price varying from 3s. to £3 per mat, according to quality and length. All mats in India are made by a special caste, who devote themselves exclusively to that description of manufacture. There are no statistical records to show the number and value of mats annually manufactured, but if it be considered that everybody, high or low, rich or poor, uses some kind of mat, it can easily be imagined that a very large number of people must be employed in making mats to supply the demand, not only of the immense local population, but also that for export.*

* Exhibition Catalogue, 1862.