The Rug Library

Early Mughal carpets closely resemble Persian carpets of the same time, particularly those associated with Herat, reflecting the Persian craftsmen and designs that shaped the first imperial workshops.

According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, relatively few carpets appear to have been made in India before the reign of Akbar (r. 1556–1605), whose court historians record royal carpet workshops at Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore and Agra.

In the later 17th century, European engravings and illustrated books circulating at the Mughal court influenced carpet patterns, and a distinctly Mughal way of depicting flowers emerged that differed from the Persian manner.

Alongside Persian-style designs, Mughal weavers developed distinctively Indian carpet types, including scenic and landscape carpets, animal carpets with chase scenes, architectural latticework designs and prayer rugs centred on a single flowering plant.

Pashmina, the fine underbelly hair of the Kashmir goat used for Kashmir shawls, was preferred over silk for the pile of the finest Mughal carpets in the 17th and 18th centuries, giving them a velvety surface.

Britannica notes that fine Mughal carpets often have warps in bands of contrasting colours and a pile of wool so fine it is sometimes mistaken for silk, with some of the tightest knotting among antique Oriental carpets.

Mughal floral carpet designs commonly feature trailing blossoms such as wisteria and elongated bunches of grapes, according to Britannica.

Mughal karkhanas, or imperial workshops, served the needs of the court and were located at Lahore, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and Ahmedabad, with artisans often trained by masters from Persia or Central Asia.

Under Jahangir, botanical and animal motifs grew in popularity in Mughal art, and the vogue for botanically accurate floral carpet designs reached its peak under Shah Jahan.