Muga silk is a variety of wild silkgeographically tagged[1] to the state of Assam in India. The silk is known for its extreme durability and has a natural yellowish-golden tint[2] with a shimmering, glossy texture.[3] It was previously reserved for the use of royalty.[4][failed verification] Muga is one of the three major types of indigenous wild silks produced in Assam, and is a key variety of Assam silk renowned for its natural golden color[5] and durability.
Sericulture in Assam is an ancient industry without a precise time of origin. Assam was well known for the production of high quality silk since ancient times. The craft of weaving goes along with the production of silk. It grew to such sophistication in Assam that it was known all over India and abroad. The first reference to Assam silk was probably in Valmiki's Ramayana. In the Kishkindha Kanda of Ramayana, it is stated that one travelling towards the east has to first pass through Magadha, Anga, Pundra and then the Kosha-karanam-bhumi ("the country of cocoon rearers").[7][8][9] Kautilya's Arthashastra, a political literature of the 3rd century BC, makes references to the highly sophisticated silk clothing from Assam. Kautilya mentions the production of Suvarnakudyaka (from Kamrupa) along with Vangika (from Vanga/southern Bengal), Magadhika (from Magadha) and Paundrika (from Pundra/northern Bengal), of which Suvarnakudyaka, Magadhika and Paundrika fabrics were types of Kauseya (Tussar/Muga) and Cina-patta (Mulberry silk).[10] The fact that Kamrupa produced Suvarnakudyaka is confirmed by the 8th century writer Kumārila Bhaṭṭa who, in his commentary of Arthashatra, said that Kamrupa was Suvarnakudya (Kamarupeschaiva Suvarna Kudyah).[11] As per the Arthashatra, the fibres of Suvarnakudyaka were of 'the colour of butter', 'as red as the sun', and of the best quality.[12] Due to this description of colour, the type of silk can be easily identified as Muga. The text also refers to four trees (Vakula, Likucha, Vata and Naga-vriksa) which the silkworms feed on. Out of these, Vakula and Naga-vriksa[13] belong to the genus Ericales and Magnolia which the Muga silkworm Antheraea assamensis is known to feed on; while Likucha (Artocarpus lakucha) and Vata belong to the genus Moraceae (Mulberry) which the Pat Silkworm feeds on. This is further confirmed from the 9th century thesaurus Amara-kosha which mentions that the worms of the fibre Patrorna (a form of white silk), fed on the leaves of Vata, Lakucha, etc.[14] The Arthashastra also states that the fibre was spun while the threads were wet, indicating that the production method was still the same at that period.[15] The ancient text Kalika Purana(dated between 10th-11th century) well records the use of silk in the worship of deities in ancient Kamrupa. As per the text, while worshipping the deities at the Dikkarvasini pitha(also known as Tamreswari of Sadiya), red, yellow and white Kauseya(meaning wild silk, probably Muga) were used to drap the idols of the presiding deities of the temple.[16][17][18] It is known that Muga, in olden times, was available in yellow(natural), white(Mejankari muga) and often dyed red with lac.[19]
The knowledge of sericulture probably arrived with the Tibeto-Burman groups which arrived from China around the period of 3000-2000 BC. Moreover, there was another trade of Silk through the Southwestern Silk road which started from China, passed through Burma and Assam, finally getting connected to the main silk road in Turkmenistan. There are various other records to show that Silk came to India through Assam. As per the Sanskrit text Harshacharita (biography of North Indian ruler Harshavardhan written by the court poet Banabhatta in the 7th century), during the coronation ceremony of King Harshavardhan, king Bhaskarvarman of Kamrupa gifted many precious items to the North Indian king. Out of this the most important ones include the precious fabrics and jewels. These included an umbrella wrapped by a dukula cloth, sacks of patta-sutra cloth as well as ksoma fabrics which were as pure as the autumn moon's light (sharada chandrama shaucha ksamani). These fabrics could either be silk[20] or linen. It is also mentioned in the text that the loin fibres were so even and polished that it resembled Bhoj-patra, which could indicate silk as well.[21] There are also references of Assam silk in the records written by Huen Sang where he has written the use and trade of silk in Kamrupa during the rule of king Bhaskar Varman. Ram Mohan Nath in his book "The Background of Assamese culture states that: "The Kiratas,(an early Mongoloid race in Assam, were traders in silk, a word that was derived from the Mongolian original word ‘sirkek’. The Indian word ‘sari’ is probably derived from the same word. “It is therefore clear that in ancient times traders from different parts of Tibet, Central Asia and China flocked to Assam through various routes, and as they traded mostly in silk, they were generally called Seres – Cirrahadoi – Syrities – Cirata-Kirata. The word Kirata therefore, is a general term referring to the people of the Mongolian origin and it refers specially to the Bodos.” These Bodos referred by Nath are today known as Bodo-Kacharis which includes groups such as Bodos, Chutias, Dimasas,Thengal, Rabhas, Sonowal, Garo, Koch and many more. J.Geoghegan in his book "Silk in India" states that: "It is the Kiratas who introduced the cultivation of silk with its different varieties in Assam and it is from Assam that Silk was later introduced to mainland India. Whatever may be the date of the introduction of the worm, its geographical distribution at present day, and the fact species first introduced was a multivoltine, seem to me to lead to the conclusion that the insect was first introduced into India from the north-east (i.e. Assam)".
Genetic research on silkworms show that Assam silk originated in two specific regions of Assam. One was Garo Hills in the ancient Kamrupa kingdom and the other was Dhakuakhana in the ancient Chutia kingdom. As per Buranjis, the Chutia king in 1524 AD gifted some golden coloured cloth(Sunali kapur in Assamese, Kham-sin in Tai) as a peace offering to the Ahom king, which may indicate the use of Muga(golden fibre) as royal clothing in the Chutia kingdom.[22]
As per the Naoboicha Phukanar Buranji, Muga was adopted in the Ahom courts at later period. As per the text, one of the Ahom kings upon the advice of his ministers took the decision of introducing Muga, Paat clothing and employed a thousand Muga producers and weavers from the Chutia community to weave royal garments in the capital.[23] Before that the Ahoms are said to have worn black-coloured clothes. In the Assam Buranji, the Ahoms are mentioned as "Lunda-Munda Kula Kapur pindha luk" (black-clothed men) in the 16th century,[24] which denotes they wore black cotton clothes till the 16th century similar to the other Tais of Yunnan and Burma. Due to this adoption of the clothing style of native rulers, Muga production received patronage from the Ahom dynasty in the later period of their rule. Royalty and senior mandarins were prescribed clothing made of the silk. Ahom kings were known to keep many costly muga sets in the royal storehouse for presentation to distinguished visitors to their court. Queens were personally involved in training weavers. The fabric was also a chief export of the Ahoms.[citation needed]
Although Silk was cultivated and woven by women all around Assam, the silk clothes of a particular place named Sualkuchi achieved much fame during the Kamarupa as well as Ahom rule. Sualkuchi is said to have been established in the 11th Century by King Dharma Pala of the Pala dynasty that ruled western Assam from 900 AD to about 1100 AD. Dharmapala, the story goes, brought 26 weaver families from Tantikuchi in Barpeta to Sualkuchi and created a weavers' village close to modern-day Guwahati.[25] Silk was given royal patronage during that period and Sualkuchi was made an important centre of Silk weaving. The Hand-loom industry of Sualkuchi encompasses cotton textile, silk textile as well as Khadi cloth which are, in fact, traditional cloth endowing high social and moral value in and outside the state. However, Sualkuchi is well known for silk textiles both mulberry and muga silk. In fact muga, "the golden fibre" is produced only in Assam and it has also tremendous export potentiality. Such activities are intimately linked with the culture and tradition of the Assamese people since long past.
Muga silk was recognized as a protected geographical indication (GI) in 2007, and was granted a GI logo for trademark purposes in 2014. The logo has been registered with the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council. The Central Silk Board of India has been granted the authority to inspect muga silk products, certify their authenticity and allow producers to use the GI logo.[26] This board is also involved in R&D and infrastructure development for Assamese silk, including muga, through the Central Muga Eri Research & Training Institute (CMER&TI) in Jorhat, Assam.[6]
In 2015, Adarsh Gupta K of Nagaraju's research team at Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India, discovered the complete sequence and the protein structure of muga silk fibroin and published it in Nature Scientific Reports.[27]
India produced 158 tonnes of muga silk in FY 2014–15, out of which 136 tonnes were produced in Assam. India's total silk output in the same period amounted to 28,708 tonnes.[28]
Assam is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of 78,438 km2 (30,285 sq mi). It is the second largest state in northeastern India by area and the largest in terms of population, with more than 31 million inhabitants. The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur to the east; Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south; and West Bengal to the west via the Siliguri Corridor, a 22-kilometre-wide (14 mi) strip of land that connects the state to the rest of India. Assamese and Boro for Bodoland Territorial Region are the official languages of Assam. Meitei (Manipuri) is recognised as an additional official language in Hojai district and for the Barak Valley region, alongside Bengali, which is also an official language in the Barak Valley.
Bihu is of three types and it is an important cultural festival unique to the Indian state of Assam – 'Rongali' or 'Bohag Bihu' observed in April, 'Kongali' or 'Kati Bihu' observed in October or November, and 'Bhogali' or 'Magh Bihu' observed in January. The festivals present an admixture of Tibeto-Barman, Austroasiatic and Indo-Aryan traditions entwined so intricately that it is impossible to separate them—festivals which are uniquely Assamese to which all communities of Assam had contributed elements. The Rongali Bihu is the most important of the three, celebrating spring festival. The Bhogali Bihu or the Magh Bihu is a harvest festival, with community feasts. The Kongali Bihu or the Kati Bihu is the sombre, thrifty one reflecting a season of short supplies and is an animistic festival.
The Ahom, or Tai Ahom is an ethnic group from the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The members of this group are admixed descendants of the Tai people who reached the Brahmaputra valley of Assam in 1228 and the local indigenous people who joined them over the course of history. Sukaphaa, the leader of the Tai group and his 9,000 followers established the Ahom kingdom, which controlled much of the Brahmaputra Valley in modern Assam until 1826.
Barua is a common Assamese surname shared by the Assamese communities much like Aroras of Punjab.
Sualkuchi is a census town in Kamrup district in the Indian state of Assam. It is situated on the north bank of the river Brahmaputra, about 35 km from Guwahati, Sualkuchi is a block of Kamrup District. It has large number of cottage industry engaged in handloom, for which it is also known as the "Manchester of Assam".
The culture of Assam is traditionally a hybrid one, developed due to cultural assimilation of different ethno-cultural groups under various political-economic systems in different periods of its history.
Assam silk denotes the three major types of indigenous wild silks produced in Assam—golden muga, white pat and warm eri silk. The Assam silk industry, now centered in Sualkuchi, is a labor-intensive industry.
Mekhela Sador is a traditional attire worn by women from Assam. Mekhela Sador is two-piece attire, the Mekhela and the Sador, and is generally made from silk such as Muga silk, Eri or Pat silk.
Jaapi or Japi is an Asian conical hat. It is made from tightly woven bamboo and/or cane and tokou paat a large, palm leaf. The word jaapi derives from jaap meaning a bundle of tokou leaves. In the past, plain jaapis were used by ordinary people in Assam and by farmers for protection from the sun, while ornate decorative jaapis were worn as a status symbol by the royalty and nobility. Decorative sorudoi jaapi are made with intricate cloth designs that are integrated into the weaving.
Narayanpur is a developmental block (place) located in the Lakhimpur district of the northeastern Indian state of Assam, within the North Lakhimpur subdivision. It falls under the Bihpuria constituency of the Assam Legislative Assembly and is served by the Narayanpur Police Station. The town of Narayanpur, situated at the center of the block, serves as the headquarters of the Deori Autonomous Council, the governing body of the Deori ethnic group. Narayanpur is also notable as the birthplace of several famous Vaishnavite saints, including Mahapurush Madhavdev.
The Chutia kingdom was a late medieval state that developed around Sadiya in present Assam and adjoining areas in Arunachal Pradesh. It extended over almost the entire region of present districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, and some parts of Dibrugarh in Assam, as well as the plains and foothills of Arunachal Pradesh. The kingdom fell around the year 1524 to the Ahom Kingdom after a series of conflicts and the capital area ruled by the Chutia rulers became the administrative domain of the office of Sadia Khowa Gohain of the Ahom kingdom.
Wild silks have been known and used in many countries from early times, although the scale of production is far smaller than that from cultivated silkworms. Silk cocoons and nests often resemble paper or cloth, and their use has arisen independently in many societies.
Hazarika was a Paik officer under the administration of the Ahom kingdom and Koch kingdom. The commander over 1,000 (Hazar) paiks was known as a Hazarika. As it was a purely administrative position, the title holder could belong to diverse ethnic groups and religions.
Saikia was a Paik officer of the Ahom militia who led a hundred paiks. The Koch kingdom had a similar system in place. As it was a purely administrative position, the title holder could belong to diverse ethnic groups or religions. Today, this title is used as a surname by Assamese people of various ethnic origins. The post of Saikia in the Paik system was higher in rank to the Bora but lower in rank to the Hazarika.
The Mising people are a Sino-Tibetan ethnic group inhabiting mostly in the Northeast Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. They are part of the greater Tani group of people of India and Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
The Chutia people are an ethnic group that are native to Assam and historically associated with the Chutia kingdom. However, after the kingdom was absorbed into the Ahom kingdom in 1523–24, the Chutia population was widely displaced and dispersed in other parts of Upper Assam as well as Central Assam. They constitute one of the core groups that form the Assamese people.
Sati Sadhani was a 16th-century legendary queen of the Chutia dynasty. In the Ahom Buranjis, the lead queen of the Chutias in 1524 was called Nang Lung or Bor Konwari. Sati Sadhani as a character might be based upon Nang Lung.
Bora, also spelled Borah or Barah, is an Assamese surname used commonly throughout Assam.
Ahomisation was an assimilation process in the former Ahom kingdom of Assam by which the people from different ethnic groups in the region became a part of what is now considered as the Ahom population.
Hemoprova Chutia is an Indian handloom weaver and artist based in Dibrugarh, Assam who has crafted a variety of creations using diverse fabrics such as cotton, silk, wool, and intricately cut bamboo. She has received various awards and honours for her contribution in the art, including the Assam Gourav award presented by the Government of Assam in 2022.
References
↑ "GI Registry India". Statewise Registration Details of GI Applications. Intellectual property India. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
1 2 "Muga Silk". Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
↑ Hyde, Nina (1984). "The Queen of Textiles". National Geographic. 165 (1): 14.
↑ Journal Of Bihar And Orissa Research Society Vol. 3, p.215, "There is some doubt in identifying the Naga tree named in the Arthashastra. Lexicographers take it to denote the tree, Naga-kesara and Punnaga, the flowers of which possess yellow anther. A synonym of Naga-kesara is Champeya, because the flower of Champaka (Michelina champac) is yellow; and it is no less remarkable that the Champa silk once celebrates in Assam was fine white." p. 212, "There is a variety of muga called Champa muga, its worms feeding on leaves of Champa tree (Michelia champaca). Sir George Watt tells us that "the Chpa silk seems almost quite forgotten to-day, but it was the fine white silk worn by the kings and nobles of Assam in former times"."
↑ Shastri, B.N, "The Kalikapurana: Text, Introduction and English Trans. with Shloka Index", p. 1240, "The goddess in her Lalitakanta (pleasantly charming) form is known as Mangala chandi,...she wears red silk(rakta-kauseya-vasana)."
↑ Shastri, B.N, "The Kalikapurana: Text, Introduction and English Trans. with Shloka Index", p. 1243-45, "O king! Listen to the procedure of worship of Brahma with rapt attention...Red silk(rakta-kauseya-vastram) is his (Brahma's) favourite cloth, rice cooked with milk, sesames, mixed with ghee are his favourite food."
↑ Shastri, B.N, "The Kalikapurana: Text, Introduction and English Trans. with Shloka Index", p. 1259, "Vasudeva may be worshipped briefly or elaborately. Red, yellow and white silk are the favourite cloths of Vishnu..."
↑ Journal Of Bihar And Orissa Research Society Vol. 3, p.212, "There was another of similar quality. It is known as the Mezankari muga, the worm feeding on the Adakari tree (Litsea citrata)."This muga constituted the dress of the higher ranks, most of which were dyed red with lac but some were white." It is now scarce."
↑ "CSB Annual Report 14-15"(PDF). Annual Report 2014–15. Central Silk Board, India. November 2015. pp.5, 123. Archived from the original(PDF) on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
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