Pile Carpets

Pile carpets were probably introduced in India from Iran in the sixteenth century when Mughal Emperor Akbar brought some Persian carpet weavers to India and set up a royal workshop for them in his palace. During the Mughal period this craft flourished in Agra, Delhi and Lahore.

The weavers tie knots on upright wooden looms. A 'chhura' (steel knife for cutting the threads after knotting), a panja (comb of iron or wood) and scissors for cropping the pile are the main tools used for making these hand-woven carpets. Kashmir developed this carpet industry during the reign of Zain-ul-Abidin. There the carpet making closely follows the shawl-weaving tradition.