Muslin (/ˈmʌzlɪn/) is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It is commonly believed that it gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq.
Muslin was produced in different regions of the Indian subcontinent; the Bengal region was the main manufacturing area. While there were several cotton production centers in Bengal, the clothe produced in Sonargaon, 15 miles from east of Dhaka, was of the highest quality in the subcontinent. As Dhaka became the capital of Mughal Bengal following its conquest by the Mughals, the Muslin produced around Dhaka became more accessible to distant markets, including Central Asia where fine muslin was known as "Daka". The muslin produced at Dhaka, Sonargaon and its surrounding areas was of excellent quality, which is popularly known as Dhaka Muslin. Muslin was made in Dhaka (Sonargaon) from very fine yarn, which is made from a cotton called Phuti karpas, endemic to Bangladesh. A minimum of 300-count yarn was used for the muslin, making the muslin as transparent as glass. There were about 28 varieties of muslin, of which jamdani is still widely used. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Mughal Bengal emerged as the foremost muslin exporter in the world, with Dhaka as capital of the worldwide muslin trade. In the latter half of the 18th century, muslin weaving ceased in Bengal due to cheap fabrics from England.In India in the latter half of the 20th century and in Bangladesh in the second decade of the 21st century, initiatives were taken to revive muslin weaving, and the industry was revived. Dhakai Muslin was recognized as a Geographical Indication (GI) product of Bangladesh in 2020 and Banglar Muslin (Bengal Muslin) was recognized as a Geographical Indication (GI) product of the Indian state of West Bengal in 2024. In 2013, Jamdani (a type of muslin) weaving art of Bangladesh included in the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO under the title Traditional art of Jamdani Weaving.
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