Textiles are the leading branch of Khiva handicrafts

This article analyzes the role of textiles in Khorezm handicrafts during the Khiva Khanate and its role in the economy of the Khanate.

Keywords: textiles, turbans, shawls, cotton gauze, silk, wool, semi-silk, karbas, chit.

In the Khiva khanate, weaving was the field of handicrafts, the products of which were widely traded. Weaving artisans mainly produced gazlams suitable for the climatic conditions and meeting the needs and demands of the population, as well as some types of clothing — turbans, shawls, scarves and belts. In Khiva Khanate, as in other regions of Central Asia, there was a great need for light, air-permeable cotton gauze under the conditions of hot summer weather. The demand for such gazlams has led to the wide spread of weaving gazlams among craftsmen. This is also confirmed by the documents of the 19th century. There are various silk, woolen, semi-silk textile products widely used in the production of khanate clothes — head, household items — parcha, movut, gulnor, shahoi atlas, turma, matri, katon, silk, mitqal, olacha., adras, bior, kanatur daroyi, ishtof, etc., as well as the names of yarn fabrics — gray, doka, chit, mahmal, obyol, rags are recorded [1].

Yarn fabrics are produced on a large scale using local raw materials — fibers grown in Central Asia since ancient times. Russian military G. I. Danilevsky gives a detailed description of the Khanate of Khiva in 1842 and singles out cotton among the plants used in production here [2]. Cotton is a plant that gives a good harvest in the climate of Central Asia and is widely cultivated, and a natural, soft, breathable fiber is obtained from it. Women's manual labor played an important role in this process. In the 70s of the 19th century, it was recorded that cotton picked from the field was cleaned by women's manual labor. Then it is dried in the sun for three or four weeks, if it is well opened cotton, for one week. Dried cotton is separated from the seed using special equipment. This equipment was gear, and it was rotated by hand. Since the teeth are set against each other, the cotton moves towards the teeth and the seed is left behind, and the cotton is separated. There is no clear information in the sources about when this equipment, which separates cotton from the seed, was used in Central Asia. This device was called «jiq» [3] in Khiva Khanate.

One of the yarns woven in the khanate is boz (karbas), mainly its different varieties: an expensive variety woven from thin cotton threads and a cheap variety woven from coarse yarns. This type of fabric was also popular in Khorezm in earlier times.

In Central Asia, not only colorless, but different colors of gray are made, and various clothes are made from it. Khiva is also painted in different colors. The fact that it is painted blue is called paint [4].

Over the centuries, residents of Khiva, as in other khanates, have used ash for various purposes. Gray was widely used not only in sewing clothes, but also in various areas of the population's life. Even in the military field, they used gray effectively. In particular, weapons are wrapped with this type of fabric, which is durable and cheap.

In Khiva, as in other Central Asian khanates, one of the yarns woven from ancient times was considered «gauze». Different types of gauze are produced in the Khany. In particular, its quality is called «Khosa-Doka». According to historical sources, some people were given sarpols — a turban along with a turban.

Chit is one of the yarns produced in large quantities in Khiva. Chit was considered a type of gauze woven in Khorezm region since ancient times. Chit gauze was created as a result of gray processing and flower pressing. Various patterns and images of flowers were created by dipping various wooden «moulds» in paint and pressing them on the fabric. Separate wooden molds were made for each paint. There were varieties of chit in Khiva, such as «blanket tooth», «lining chit».

They were engaged in chitgar in different centers of the khanate. In many cases, the residents who were engaged in this type of craft lived in their neighborhoods. In the 70s of the 19th century, 120 households lived in Nurullo chitgar neighborhood of Khiva, they had their own market (chorsu) and were mainly engaged in chit production. Nurullo Chitgar Charsus is located inside the Shihlar Gate of Dishon Castle, and there were 25 shops (we think, chit shop) in it. This situation indicates that chit production is extremely developed in the city. Ishtof is another fabric produced in Khiva. This fabric is described in some literature as «thick silk woven fabric» [5]. However, the sources prove that it is a fiber fabric used by the general population to sew various products. In one of the documents from the 1970s, it is written that this gauze was plainly painted and decorated with large, complex flowers. Ten trousers and fourteen turbans were made with a belt», it is noted. The fact that Ishtof was used for making beds, as a lining for hats, and as a lining for blankets indicates that it is a cheap fabric.

High-quality silk has been produced in the Khiva Khanate since ancient times. Mainly in the southern part of the khanate, they were actively engaged in silk production. In the 18th century, Khiva's dyed silk was in greater demand in other countries than the dyed silk.

Semi-silk fabrics are also woven in various centers of the khanate. One of them is velvet — «velvet», here it is «black velvet», «kazma mahmal» — velvet with flowers, «kipchima mahmal» — velvet with red flowers [6], such types as «abrili mahal» were produced. Nobles wore tunics made from different types of this fabric on special occasions and festive parties, made blankets, prepared tablecloths, and awarded notable people with sarpols made of this fabric. Some types of velvet were taken to other countries. Another of the famous gazlams is «parcha», from which men's tunics and women's shawls are sewn. Among the exhibition materials of the museum-reserve of the Ichan Castle in Khiva, one can find 19th century yellow cloth and white cloth tunics. This gauze is thickly woven with shiny gold. In many cases, this type of fabric served as an object of foreign trade. This is also confirmed by the information of the Russian merchant D. Rukavkin, who was in Khiva in 1753. According to him, the Khiva people wove silk and cotton cloth of medium quality. Most of them were taken to Orenburg and sold [7].

Thus, in the Khiva Khanate, the leading branch of handicrafts, which is one of the foundations of economic life, was widely developed. The contribution of women in textile industry was great.

References:

1. XIX аср Хива давлат ҳужжатлари. — Тошкент, 1960. Т. II. — Б. 73, 95, 110, 114, 139, 159, 294; Спасский Г. Краткое описание Бухари и Хиви // Сибирский вестник. 1823. Ч. 1. — С. 90.
2. Данилевский Г. И. Описание Хивинского ханства // Записки Императорского Русского географического общества. Кн. V. СПб, 1851. — С 121.
3. Абдурасулов А. Хива. — Тошкент, 1997. — Б. 71.
4. Юлдашев М. Ю. К истории торгових и посолских связей Средней Азии с Россией в XVI — XVII вв. — Ташкент, 1964. — С. 14.
5. XIX аср Хива давлат ҳужжатлари... Т. II. — Б. 357.
6. XIX аср Хива давлат ҳужжатлари.... Т. II. 8-дафтар, 1б. — Б. 93.
7. Путешествие из Оренбурга в Хиву самарского купца Рукавкина в 1753 г. // Туркестанский сборник. — СПб., 1883. Т. 386. — С. 63.