The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 2 (of 4)Crooke, William
History
The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 2 (of 4)
Crooke, William
Caste -- India -- History; Hindus -- India; Tribes -- India -- History
[Occupation and social status.] 6. The great centres of the calico
printing trade in these provinces are Lucknow, Fatehgarh, Bulandshahr,
and Mirzapur, where it is largely in the hands of a colony of Sâdhs
from Fatehgarh. In Lucknow, according to Mr. Hoey, [262] there are
three different classes of cotton printers who pass under the same name
and use similar dyes. The first class is the stamper of real or
imitation gold or silver leaf on coloured cotton fabrics for use as
palanquin covers, curtains (parda), bed covers (lihâf), quilts, etc.
The process is simple but ingenious. The Chhîpi makes a mixture of gum,
chalk, and glue. He stamps the pattern on the fabrics with this mixture
by means of a wooden die. He then lays strips of silver leaf over the
pattern traced in this way, and taps it gently with a pad. The leaf
adheres to the gummy lines of the pattern stamped, and comes away from
the unstamped surface. The process of stamping an imitation of silver
differs. The Chhîpi in this case mixes pewter (ranga), gum, glue, and
chalk and stamps the pattern right off. After it dries he rubs it over
with a piece of wood (mura), and this gives a gloss to the inferior
metal. The second class mark patterns on muslin for embroiderers
(chikandoz), and the third prints cotton fabrics in fast colours for
use as quilts, sheets, bed covers, table cloths, etc. The Chhîpi, as a
rule, ranks fairly high in social estimation. To the east of the
Province he does not drink spirits or eat any meat. All Hindus,
including Brâhmans will, it is said, eat pakki cooked by him, and
tribes like the Kahâr will eat kachchi prepared by him. In Fatehgarh he
will eat pakki prepared by Agarwâla Banyas, and kachchi by Gaur
Brâhmans. Water they drink from the vessel of a Brâhman or Banya, but
they will smoke only from the pipe of a member of the tribe. Brâhmans
will eat pakki prepared by them; Nâis and Mâlis will eat kachchi cooked
by them, and drink from their vessels.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE CHHÎPIS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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