Mashru

Mashru (Mushroo, Mashroo, Misru) is a woven cloth that is a mix of silk and cotton. Historically, it was a hand-woven satin silk fabric variety found in the Indian subcontinent, and its proper use is described in the 16th-century "Ain-i-Akbari".
History.
Mashru is explicitly mentioned in the administrative document, the "Ain-i-Akbari", of the 16th-century Mughal Empire, under silken kinds of stuff: "...the ordinary orthodox Muslim was only anxious to wear clothes of simple material like linen and to avoid silk, velvet, brocade, or fur and coloured ... Mashru." Mixed silk and cotton textile was worn, because, by cannon, a Muslim must not wear a dress of pure silk. Varieties containing silk and cotton admixtures gained greater currency in the empire, more particularly after the issuance of the "Ain-i-Akbari". During the Mughal period, Mashru was used for the costumes of courtiers and nobles. Mashru is presumed to be an Indian innovation.
Etymology.
Mashru or Mushrues "mashrū' means" 'lawful.' The word Mashru means permitted, derived from Mashry in Arabic, and misry (or misru) refers to a mixture in the Sanskrit language. In India, Mashru is also known under such names as bandha, patolu, telia rumal, chitki, or simply tie. These names generally mean 'permitted', but it is also related to the Sanskrit word misru, meaning 'mixed'.
Texture and types.
Production and texture.
Mashru has been primarily produced in Punjab, and western parts of India. It is a double-layered material with a thick cotton base and covered with an almost single stranded silken warp and woof. Mashru is a stout, silken textile with a variegated pattern. Mashru is a warp-faced fabric. In its weaving, the loom brings the cotton yarn down and the silk fibers up. This produces a cloth that exhibits a silk face and cotton backing. Hence it was a mix of silk and cotton, although with a satin finish. The result is a thick and heavy cloth with less lustrous and feminine-like pure silk.
Types.
Mashru with silk face and cotton inside was useful for various dresses and household items. The indigenious Mashru was famous for its strength and aesthetics. "All 'Mushroos' wash well, especially the finer kinds..." There are varieties of Mashru clothes, Gulbadan, and Sufi, among a few leading examples of this category. Superior kinds of material are categorized as Mashru; and lower quality are called "Sangi." Mashru is less expensive than pure silk.
Religious admonition.
The wearing of pure silk, particularly next to the skin, was widely held to be an impious luxury for good Muslims. "Pure silk is not allowed to men, but women may wear the most sumptuous silk fabrics" Unlike pure silk, the blend was lawful. Hence, it was an acceptable and popular type of cloth among Muslim men in northern India and Pakistan. A similar type of cloth called "kutnu" was found in the Near East. "The ikat velvet pieces which have been located so far and can be identified as Indian are similar in style to the mashru being woven in western India ... for the basic foundation and this may have been prepared specially for the conservative Muslim who did not use silk thread. 19 "Ain-i-Akbari" also mentions that Akbar received textiles signed by Giyatyad - Din Ali Naqshband.