History of Cotton

The history of cotton is very interesting. I really enjoyed reading about it and I must admit, there were several things I didn't know. It was almost like attending history classes at school again!

Cotton is one of the world's oldest fibres and it has been spun, woven and dyed since ancient times.

History of Cotton - Here are the main points...
No one knows exactly how old cotton is, but we do know that cotton has been used to make fine cloth for thousands of years. Scientists have found clear evidence of cotton in caves near Mexico City dating back some 5,000 years. There is also clear evidence that the cotton plant was cultivated in India and Pakistan more than 3,000 years ago.

In the 1st century, Arab traders brought cotton cloth to Europe, and in the 9th century the Moors introduced the cultivation of cotton into Spain.

During the late medieval period, cotton became known as an imported fibre in Northern Europe. At that time people were only familiar with fibres derived from animals such as wool and not knowing much about plant-based fibres they originally thought, that cotton was produced by plant-borne sheep!

By the end of the 16th century, cotton was cultivated throughout the warmer regions in Asia and Americas.

The industrial revolution in England and the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793 further improved production capacity and led the way for the textile industry that we know today.

In the late 18th and early 19th century, during the establishment of British colonial rule in India, India's cotton-processing sector gradually declined. The de-industrialisation of India forced the closing of cotton processing and manufacturing plants, thereby ensuring that the market supplied raw materials only and purchased textiles manufactured in Britain.

By the 1840s, India was no longer capable of supplying the vast quantities of cotton fibres needed by mechanised British factories. At the same time American cotton emerged as a superior type. Cultivated and harvested by unpaid slaves, it was also much cheaper and therefore proved popular with British traders.

After emancipation and the end of the American Civil War in 1865, cotton remained a key crop in the Southern US economy.

Today the five leading cotton-producing countries are: China, India, United States, Pakistan and Brazil.

If you have enjoyed reading this page, then you may also enjoy reading the Facts about Cotton and the Properties of Cotton pages.

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