Culture of Carpeting:Mughal India

Mughal Indian Dynasty(1526-1707)

Rulers

Originated from the steppe plain regions around present day Uzbekistan and Kazhakstan on the border of China

Reign centered in the  city of Lahore in the Panjab/Punjab territory in Northern India

Muslim invaders that eventually ruled the Indian subcontinent before the age of the Maharaja states

Rulers

Babur (r. 1526-30)

Humayun (r. 1530-56)

Akbar (r. 1556-1605)

Conquering of neighboring states ends

Jahangir (r. 1605-27)

Shah Jahan (r. 1627-58)

Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707)

Nur Jahan

Shah Jahan

Because of their Islamic influence one sees the combination of Persian and Indian artistic and aesthetic sensibilities

The acceptance and adherence of mythological hindu depctions and somewhat less creative Islamic pattern

The mixture of refined line along with use of striking color

Non pictoral abstraction in the form of arabesques and geometrics patterns versus the realistic although stylized forms

Floorspread

18th Century Mughal India

Cotton Embroidered with Silk

Fragment of Anima Carpet

16th Century Mughal India

Cotton( Warp and Weft) and Wool(Pile)

From the reigns from Jahangir onward the focus of art became about depicting luxurious court life and the spoils of the previous age of conquest. These painting particularly highlights the use of ornament, pattern, and color within the interior and exterior of the palaces. One can literally see the usage of  floor coverings and hanging textiles

Buildings were constructed out of sandstone and/or later white marble with open pillared halls for air circulation, so textiles were needed to mitigate temperature,control sunlight,and provide cushion for hard surfaces

Furnishings were sparse so occupants tended to sit on the floor with aid of cushion.Thin cotton floor cloth would cover the floors during the summer and wool(pashmina from Himalayan goat) pile carpets in the winter months

However all of this needed to be extremely portable for use in palace or on an expedition