"Silk and Weavers of Silk in Medieval Peninsular India"

"Silk and Weavers of Silk in Medieval Peninsular India" by Vijaya Ramaswamy from The Medieval History Journal was a very interesting read that not only touched on how silk was produced and traded but also the cultural implications and influence that silk had in India.

Throughout the article Ramaswamy discusses the importance of silk within the Indian culture. It "was only worn by the ruling classes" (154) and "considered ritually pure and therefore obligatory wearing on occasion of the performance of sacrifice or special worship" (155). Ramaswamy goes further to explain that silk was used in order to distinguish the classes. Whether or not someone knew who an important figure was they were able to recognize someone's status based on the amount of silk their clothes were made of. The material it self separated the people and created a specific class structure within India. Although silk was seen as pure the most important color of silk was not white. The most important figures would wear red silk, which was specifically used for ritual occasions.

The article discusses the idea of "Social Sanskritization" or the act of imitating clothing and style so as to be able to conform to the higher class. Since silk was such an important possession visually many people switched from wearing cotton to silk in order to "fit into" the upper class. There was the "urge to imitate the lifestyle of the court and nobility" (158) which was done by adding bits of silk into the clothing.

Because silk was such an influential material within the Indian culture, where it was manufactured at the time, it's interesting to notice mentioning of silk within the clothing of the monarchy during the renaissance and how important their clothing was to understanding their cultural dominance. Silk is also mentioned in Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus stating, "I'll have them fill the public schools with silk,/Wherewith the students shall be bravely clad" (Norton 1131). Silk is used as an important key to uplift and elevate the children in the school. Their clothing puts on the persona of nobility or part of the upper class making the production and distribution of silk a tool from the areas of trade.