Oriental Rugs - Indian Rugs

India, located in South Central Asia, is bordered by China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Burma, Pakistan, and the Indian Ocean. Geographically, the country covers about three million square km and has a population of about 980 million people making it the second most populated country in the world after China. India gained its independence from Britain in 1947 and has its federal capital in New Delhi. Rug weaving isn't as ancient a tradition to India as it is to Iran. In the sixteenth century the art of rug weaving was introduced to India mainly by the Persian Empire under Mongolian rule, and then under the Persian Safavian rule.

The Moghul dynasty of India was, as its name implies, ruled by emperors proud of their Mongol descent. Babur, the first Moghul Shah (king) (1526-30) was a fifth generation descendant of Tamerlaine and was thus related to Chengiz Khan. Formerly ruler of Afghanistan, he overthrew the Hindu Delhi Sultanate and conquered India.

During this period, the Indian rug weaving industry began to grow. By the end of Mongol rule in Persia in the end of the fifteenth century, India had developed quite a talent for weaving rugs. After the Safavid Dynasty came into full power in Iran in 1501, the Persian government set up professional workshops in India to weave rugs and often had expert Persian weavers supervise the weavers at work in front of the looms.

As a result, almost all Indian rug designs of today are imitations of famous Persian designs, such as Kashan and Kerman. The only thing that sets them apart is the difference in quality of the wool and the weave.

In the 15th to 17th centuries, most rugs made in India were almost as fine as Persian weavings, but this art almost came to an end in India in the late 17th century. The industry was reestablished by the British in the 1800s but later carpets weren't nearly as fine.

The wool used in Indian rugs is coarser than that used in Persian rugs. It is also more difficult to fold an Indian rug because of its stiffness.

However, they sit very nicely on the floor and they tend to last a very long time.