Textiles of Undivided Bengal: A Shared Legacy

Pioneering publication exploring in depth the lost textile traditions of Bengal from the 16th to 20th century and impact on the historical and cultural aspects of the region.

The famed Bengal textiles which once ‘clothed the world’ have received little scholarly attention. With the systemic destruction of Bengal’s textile industry, prompted by the Industrial Revolution in Europe, the muslins and Balucharis of Bengal were lost in obscurity. The partition of the Indian subcontinent and the consequent varieties of cultural and social identity in present-day India and Bangladesh have contributed to this neglect. This pioneering publication explores in depth the lost textile traditions of Bengal from the 16th to the 20th century and traces its impact on the historical and cultural aspects of the region.

Supported by superb illustrations of textiles, maps and trade documents from the past, most of which have never been published before, the book serves as a public history, with engaging chapters presenting a unique perspective on the textiles of wider Bengal. This volume will inspire the reader, reorient scholarly attention and provoke a rethinking of the nature and history of Bengal textiles.

Sonia Ashmore is a design historian, lecturer and writer based in London, UK. As a Research Fellow at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, she has published on the museum’s extensive South Asian textile collections, including the book Muslin.




Tirthankar Roy is Professor at Department of Economic History, London School of Economics. His research interests include the history and development of South Asia, global history, empires and environmental history. His recent books include Crafts and Capitalism: Handloom Weaving Industry in Colonial India and Monsoon Economies: Indian History in a Changing Climate.

Niaz Zaman, former Professor at the University of Dhaka, retired in 2023 as Advisor, Department of English and Modern Languages, Independent University, Bangladesh. Her books include the first volume on nakshi kantha, titled The Art of Kantha Embroidery, and A Descriptive Catalogue of Textile Objects in the Bangladesh National Museum.