page_title: Culture of Bengal
section_title: Textiles
hierarchical_section_title: Culture of Bengal / Lifestyle / Textiles
caption_attribution_description: English: India, East Bengal (Modern Bangladesh), 19th century Textiles; quilts Cotton and wool thread embroidery on plain-weave cotton 78 1/2 x 55 1/2 in. (199.39 x 140.97 cm) Purchased with funds provided by Harry and Yvonne Lenart (AC1994.131.1) Costume and Textiles
context_page_description: The culture of Bengal defines the cultural heritage of the Bengali people native to eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, mainly what is today Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Barak Valley, where the Bengali language is the official and primary language. Bengal has a recorded history of 1,400 years. The Bengali people are its dominant ethnolinguistic tribe. The region has been a historical melting point, blending indigenous traditions with cosmopolitan influences from pan-Indian subcontinental empires. Bengal was considered to be the richest part of Islamic medieval India and during the era of the Bengal Sultanate it was described to be a world major trading nation, while during Mughal times, having triggered the proto-industrialization, its economy was worth 12% of global GDP. As a part of the Bengal Presidency, it also hosted the region's most advanced political and cultural centers during the British rule.
  The partition of Bengal left its own cultural legacy. Bangladesh is the scene of a dominant Bengali Muslim culture, whereas Indian Bengali-speaking regions have a Bengali Hindu majority.
context_section_description: Muslin production in Bengal dates back to the 4th century BCE. The region exported the fabric to Ancient Greece and Rome.
  Bengali silk was known as Ganges Silk in the 13th century Republic of Venice. Mughal Bengal was a major silk exporter. The Bengali silk industry declined after the growth of Japanese silk production. Rajshahi silk continues to be produced in northern Bangladesh. Murshidabad and Malda are the centers of the silk industry in West Bengal.
  After the reopening of European trade with medieval India, Mughal Bengal became the world's foremost muslin exporter in the 17th century. Mughal-era Dhaka was a center of the worldwide muslin trade.
  The weaving of Jamdani muslin saris in Bangladesh are classified by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
  Modern Bangladesh is one of the world's largest textile producers, with a large cotton based ready made garments industry.
caption: Kantha, a Bengali cotton textile
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