From Roman era, BanglaDesh’s muslins and silks were exported to far off Rome under the name textalis-ventalis-"woven air" and other romantic names. The same name Emperor Nero's era Rome used for muslins were still produced under same type of names in Dhaka's Sonargaon region almost 2,000 years later. With names like “Evening Dew” and “Morning Mist”. About 450 years before the birth of Christ, Herodotes testified that in Inde "wild trees bore fleece as their fruit, out of which the Indians made their clothes." Later, in 73 AD, Pliny, a Roman historian complained that every year Inde was draining the Roman Empire of its economy by exporting cotton goods. Much of this export was actually done from the Sonargaon region of Today's Bangladesh. Bangla's exports of textiles to the Western world continued during the Middle Ages, and up to about the colonial era.
It was a whole industry from growing of the specilized cotton in the banks of Meghna River to the weaving, embroydary, washin and packageing of the muslin-all gave way to various facets of Bangla's rich economy. The best quality muslin's had such fineness that it was a very highly valued item of its time and which only the very rich could afford. Most goods made from Bangala became a prized item of possession in the middle ages. Gold and silver brocades and other art fabrics were manufactured under the patronage of Sultan's of Bangala and later under the Moghul emperors in the 16th and 17th centuries. Involving highly intricate process of spinning, weaving, darning and washing, the celebrated muslins of Dhaka attained the status of art. Even the famed Pocahontas wore a Dhaka Muslin during her wedding.
A standard piece of fine Dacca muslin measured 60 feet by 3 feet. This was so sheer that a small hollow bamboo tube could contain a whole piece of the finest muslin specially prepared for the Royalty. As many as six months were spent in manufacturing a half length of this mal mal-e-khas (Best Quality muslin). Dacca’s brocades in gold and silver (called "woven flower", a fitting nomenclature) appeared as though they were blooming out of the fabric and they still retain their rich appearance after hundreds of years. Today, the manufacturing knowhow of this woven wonder of Dhaka has been lost with few of the pieces still lingering in mesuems. It was the domination and control of the Muslin trade that gave away to the first investments in the Industrial age with cotton muslin being grown with the looms rather than the natural industries that Bangla had know-how of.
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Following is a Chapter on Dacca Muslins from the book Textile Manufacturers and the Costumes of the People of India, published in 1867:
Dhaka muslins
As under this head we shall have occasion to notice the famed and still valued productions of the Dhaka loom, we shall here take the opportunity of making some general remarks regarding their fineness.
It has long been a subject of interest and doubt whether the finest Dacca muslins have ever been equalled or surpassed by the machine-made muslins of Europe.
As answer has been given to the question by the British manufacturer, who alleges that the hand-spinner of Dacca has produced nothing so fine as some of the examples produced by his machinery. It was asserted, and it has been generally accepted as true, that in the Exhibitions of 1851 and 1862 there were muslins of European make which were finer than anything shown there from India.
Whatever be the state of the case, however, as regards the contest between Dacca and European muslins, quoad actual fineness, this at least seems clear--and it is admitted, we believe, by all--that as regards apparent fineness India bears the palm. It is said that this is explained by a greater compression of the thread, depending on the peculiar mode of spinning, and by a consequent lessening of its diameter.
We do not think that this fact should be lost sight of. Apparent fineness, of course, is not actual fineness; but actual fineness loses much of its value by seeming coarse. Whether the muslins which disputed with Dacca for the prize were or were not really the finer, it was admitted by our best judges in such matters that they seemed not to be so.
In dealing with a vexed question of this kind the first thinkg to be done is to examine the way in which the relative fineness of the different muslins is practically determined and stated. We cannot show this better than by quoting from a letter which we received from Mr. H. Houldsworth, in February 1864:--
"It may be useful to repeat here the formula for ascertaining the fineness of yarn when woven. In England it is designated by the number of hanks in one pound weight of 7,000 grs. A hank is 840 yards, or 30,240 inches. The first step is to count the number of threads of warp and weft in one square inch. This is usually done by the weaver's magnifying glass, which, through as opening of 1/2 inch, brings the threads in that space distinctly into view. Thus the specimen A B(muslin from Arnee, Madras) counts 40 threads each way in 1/2 inch. or 80 threads in 1 inch of warp, and 80 of weft, showing that each square inch contains 160 inches of yarn.
Thus the sq. ins. in the piece x 160
__________________________ = the hanks in the piece;
30,240
and , as the wt. of the piece in grains: the hanks: : 7,000: No. of the yarn.
Then for A B(the length of which is 15 yds. 18 inches, the width 1 vd. 16 inches, and the weight 6891 grs.)
29016 sq. ins.piece X 160 Thds p. Inch X 7000 inch.
________________________________________ = No. 156. "
30240 X 6891 grs.
Nothing can be more clear or simple than the process here described, but it is, at the same time, very evidently one into which error may easily creep. For instance, if we take two specimens of the same muslin--halving a piece, for example--and if we starch and dress the one half, and leave the other unstarched, by following the manufacturer's method of determining fineness, we shall arrive at the startling conclusion that it is two things at once--the yarn which it is all made is of two distinct qualities.
