16/01/2025
Pashmina accessories are renowned for their softness and warmth. A craze for pashmina shawls, known as shahmina in Kashmir, in the mid-1990s resulted in high demand for the raw material, so demand exceeded supply. When these shawls rose into fashion prominence during the era, they were marketed dubiously. In the consumer markets, pashmina shawls have been redefined as a shawl/wrap with cashmere and cashmere/silk, notwithstanding the actual meaning of pashmina. Pashmina shawls gained much prominence in the days of the Mughal Empire as objects of rank and nobility. Babur first established the practice of giving khilat – giving ‘robes of honour’ – in 1526 to members of his court for their devoted service, high achievements or as a mark of royal favour. A khilat could be a set of clothes consisting of turban, coat , gown, trousers, shirts etc. all of which could be made of Pashmina wool.Upon the complete conquest of Kashmir in 1568 by Akbar, a pair of pashmina shawls were an integral part of a khilat ceremony. Other emperors of the time, such as the Safavid and Qajars, also wore and gifted pashmina shawls within their political circlesPahsmina shawls and blankets were indicators of wealth and part of a rich woman’s dowry in India, Nepal and Pakistan. These shawls acquired the status of heirlooms that would be inherited instead of being purchased as it was considered too expensive to buy. Through extensive trade with Indian, the shawls made their way to Europe where they became an almost instant hit.
