There are no direct historical texts which document the arrival and development of chikankari in India. However, there are two different narratives as for its origin. The first and most famous narrative attributes its origins to the Mughal empress Noor Jahan which was later adopted by the Nawabs of Lucknow. While the second confers it to a sufi saint who taught the craft to a man in return for his hospitality. Yet another belief is that it originated in the East Bengal province, where chikan means fine.