What is Zardozi? It is a rich embroidery done with metal thread. The craft came to India from Persia with the Mughals. Lucknow is its best-known centre today.
Contents
What is Zardozi?
Zardozi is embroidery worked in metal thread. Craftspeople stitch it on silk, satin and velvet. It gives cloth a heavy, shining surface.
What does the name mean?
The name is Persian. Zar is gold and dozi is embroidery. Together they mean sewing with gold string.
Who are the workers called?
Practitioners are called zardos or zardosans. Their work is also called aari work, after the needle they use.
What is the memory hook?
Zar plus dozi, gold plus stitching.
Sources: Sahapedia, the name and the workers; Lucknow Observer, the Persian word.
How did it reach India?
The craft came from Persia. It arrived with the Mughals. It became popular among the Mughal elite.
What happened under Akbar?
Accounts say the craft reached its height under Emperor Akbar. Royal patronage was the main source of work.
What happened later?
Royal patronage faded and the craft declined. Accounts differ on the cause. One blames Aurangzeb. Another says the art spread more widely in his reign. Use care when a question names him.
What is the memory hook?
Persia, Mughals, Akbar’s peak, patronage lost.
Sources: Utsavpedia, Persian arrival; Gulf News, peak and decline.
How was it made?
The cloth is stretched tight on a wooden frame. The frame is called the adda. The designer first traces the pattern on the cloth.
What is the aari?
The aari is a hooked needle fixed to a wooden stick. It looks a little like a crochet hook. It lets the worker pass thread above and below the cloth quickly.
Why does this matter?
The aari speeds up the stitching. It also gives neat, even loops. So the craft is also called aari work.
What is the memory hook?
Adda frame, aari hook.
Sources: Sahapedia, adda and aari; Lucknow Observer, the frame and hook.
What are the materials?
Early Zardozi used pure gold and silver wire. This work was called kalabattu. It was done on silk, satin and velvet.
What is used today?
Today the wire is plated. It may be gold-plated, silver-plated or copper-plated. Rising metal prices made pure wire costly.
What else is added?
Workers add dabka (twisted wire), kora, katori, tikena and sitara (sequins).
What is the memory hook?
Pure wire then; plated wire now.
Sources: Sahapedia, early and modern wire; Lucknow Observer, materials.
Why Lucknow?
Lucknow is the main centre of Zardozi. The Nawabs of Awadh were rich patrons. Their court wanted fine cloth. So the craft flourished in the city.
Was Lucknow the only centre?
No. Zardozi was also popular in Hyderabad, Calcutta, Varanasi, Kashmir and Delhi. Lucknow is simply the best known.
What kept Lucknow ahead?
Demand from the city of Nawabs kept it ahead. A steady court market supports a craft.
What is the memory hook?
Nawabs of Awadh, Lucknow.
Sources: Sahapedia, the Nawabs; Utsavpedia, centres and Lucknow.
What is the GI tag?
A Geographical Indication (GI) tag protects a product’s place name. Lucknow Zardozi got its tag in 2013. The tag covers Lucknow and six nearby districts.
Which districts?
They are Barabanki, Unnao, Sitapur, Rae Bareli, Hardoi and Amethi.
Why does it matter?
Only makers in that region may sell under the name. This protects real artisans from copies.
What is the memory hook?
Lucknow plus six districts, 2013.
Sources: Business Standard, the 2013 registration; Gulf News, GI and districts.
What do exams ask?
Exams ask where Zardozi comes from, what its name means and where it is centred. They also ask about the GI tag.
What are the common questions?
What does zar mean? Gold. Where did the craft come from? Persia, with the Mughals. Which city is its main centre? Lucknow. Which year did Lucknow Zardozi get its GI tag? 2013.
What traps do exams set?
Some options call it an ancient Indian craft. Sources place its arrival with the Mughals. Some options name Delhi or Agra as the main centre. Lucknow is the main one. Some options give a different GI year. The year is 2013.
What is the memory hook?
Gold stitching, Persia, Lucknow, 2013.
Sources: Business Standard, year and place; Sahapedia, Persian name and Mughal link.
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Native Practice
Practise with five questions on Zardozi, Lucknow and metal-thread embroidery.
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