The influence of Greeks on South Asia and East Asia has been profound, nd much has been written about Indo-Greek art and architecture, but there is a little about weaving. A little known fact is the work of a Greek carpet weaver who helped create a carpet industry in the heart of India (Gwalior). Greek carpet weaver, Stravrides worked under the auspices of the enlightened ruler of Gwalior, Madho Rao Scindia and established of one of the finest carpet industries in India. It provided employment to many Indians, and led to the development of Gwalior Carpets, as one of the best in India.
Maharaja and a Greek carpet weaver
Combining skill training for jail inmates with commerce was the vision of Scindia, and the Stavrides helped him execute his ideas. Greek weaver established, with the support of Scindia the industry as Stavrides Gwalior, Ltd., a carpet factory at Central Jail, Lashkar.
It produced what used to be the largest wall to wall carpet in the world, which can still be seen the Durbar Hall (Throne Hall) of the Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior. In order to understand the success of Stavrides it is important to know the answer to a pertinent question, how did the Greek carpet industry develop?
Greek carpet industry
British Canadian philosopher Henry T. Harris wrote; “Herodotus, Strabo, Aeschylus, Plautus, Metellus, Scipio, Horace, Lucan, Flavius Josephus, Arrian, and Athenaeus, all frequently mention carpets, and almost every other Greek or Latin author whose work time has spared, tells of this splendid old loom-work. Constantinople was a great seat of the textile industry, and was especially famous for its weaving in wools, which were of great beauty and highly prized.”
The Greeks carried their textile arts to the Byzantium, and there they incorporated the loom and needle work from India, Persia and China.
On July 12, 1926 the New York Times reported that Greece was “rapidly taking away the carpet and rug industry from Turkey”.
The report points to “the exodus of thousands of Greek rug weavers from Turkey to Greece. Under the recent exchange of populations carried out under the auspices of the League of Nations, few, if any, professional Greek or Armenian rug-makers were left in Asia Minor.”
One of these refugees, was Nicholas Soutzoglou – soon the Soutzoglou carpet factory became the largest employer of women on Hydra and provided a lifeline for the island during World War II, as carpets were traded for food.
According to Commerce Report Issue 29, of the United States, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, the Greek carpet industry was established in 1923, when thousands of refugee workers from the carpet manufacturing districts of Asia Minor were supplied with looms, under Greek Government auspices.
Greek carpets arrive in Gwalior
The carpet industry in the historic city of Gwalior was established around 1902 when the Maharaja of the State at the time, Madho Rao Scindia a rich ruler with a vision for the economic development of his subjects, invited the well-known Greek carpet expert, Stavrides to introduce carpet weaving in his state. Later, a regular carpet factory, G. P. Stavrides Gwalior Ltd., was set up. The carpets produced here were in the traditional sphere of Persian and Anatolian designs in both the Schna and Ghiordes knots. Later Chinese designs were also introduced.
In the Scindia State’s government newspaper Jayaji Pratap, that the Gwalior carpets manufactured by Stavrides and Co. are reported to be world renown. There is hardly a drawing room either in Europe or more particularly in America where a Gwalior carpet does not find its place.
A high quality was maintained because of the support of by the Maharaja and his court as well as the Sardars.
In 1922 as East India Carpet Company was buying up carpet concerns in India it also acquired this company and oriented its production towards export.
Post Partition and renewal
An Amritsar carpet factory, left with hardly any weavers after the partition of India, moved to Gwalior and was established as the Amritsar Carpet and Rug Manufacturing Company. The main areas of carpet weaving in the Gwalior district are Shankarpur, Islampura, Awardpur, Bahedapur, and Hazira. Gwalior’s handmade carpet has been awarded the GI tag in the handicraft category on application number 708.
The Gwalior handmade carpet is known for its softness, thinness, and lightness, making it very easy to carry. The design patterns used in these carpets are inspired by the local surroundings of the Gwalior area and are unique to this region.
Gwalior is the only place in the world where Maharaja pattern carpet weaving is practiced. The human skill in this craft involves Gwalior carpet weavers use a single knot to create their carpets. They incorporate various motifs and designs, which are influenced by the natural beauty of their surroundings.
They manufacture high-quality geometric carpets that capture the elegance of varied geometrical patterns and designs. The weavers in Gwalior use vibrant, shining, and glowing colours to create their carpets. Weaving a hand-knotted rug is a skilful art that requires a significant amount of time and effort. The quality and cost of such rugs are usually determined by the number of knots per square inch, with higher knot density indicating better quality.
A carpet for future endeavours
Gwalior Carpets are a symbol of a successful partnership between an Indian royal and a Greek weaver in aid of the people. While New Delhi continues to strengthen its relations with Athens, supported by centuries old history of friendship, Gwalior Carpets may play an important role in this process. Exchange programmes for weavers from both countries can be organised, along with skill development workshops by experts from both countries. Scindia-Stavrides memorial lecture can be organised by expert Greek weavers in India and Indian carpet experts in Athens. When Gwalior Carpets got GI tag in 2023, the head of Scindia royal family and Indian Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia showed great happiness, he said “that efforts will be made by the state government and him to develop the carpet business of Gwalior. For which a carpet industry will be set up in Gwalior on the lines of Chanderi. So that the weavers here can get special facilities and they can work in a better way. Efforts will be made to fulfill all the needs for their production.”
The Maharaja, the Maharani of Gwalior, Priyadarshini Raje Scindia, are all working hard with local weavers to take the story of Gwalior carpet at the world stage and to promote this symbol of India Greece friendship. One hopes that governments and businesses alike will work to promote the Gwalior Carpets and make more people aware about the contribution of Stavrides in India.
*Arunansh B. Goswami is Neos Kosmos India Correspondent as well as a legal advocate and historian who contributes travelogue and observations.