Cotton | History of Cotton

Share

Tweet

Cotton

Cotton is a soft natural pure cellulose fibre (vegetable fibre) that surrounds the seed and comes from seedpot of cotton plant, used to manufacture cloth. It is the most widely used natural fibre all over the world.

History of Cotton

No one knows exactly the origin of various species of cotton. But scientists found bits of cotton bolls in cloth while searching the Tehuaca’n Valley of Maxico and that is about 7000 years old. The plant has certainly been grown and used in India for at least 5000 years ago and probably for much longer that was found in Valley of Pakistan. About the same time, people in Egypt also woven and used cotton fabric.

Arab Merchant brought cotton to Europe Countries about 800 AD. When Columbus first discovered America in 1492, he found cotton growing in the Bahamas. By 1500, cotton was known generally throughout the world. One of the earliest crops grown by European settlers,  planted at Jamestown colony in 1607.

Cotton was first spun by machine in 1730 in England. Eli Whitney first invented the cotton gin in 1793. Cotton was the most important crop in South before the American Civil War (1861-1865). Slaves usually worked all day long to pick cotton for their masters while overseers watched from their horses. England was one of the south’s largest customers.

Now cotton is produced commercially in more than 60 countries where America, China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Brazil are the largest producers.  

From earlier Bangladesh is cultivating cotton. The finest cotton fabric Moslin was produced in Bengal during British rule, most famous all over the world that time. But cotton wasn’t cultivated widely for commercial purpose and the production is only around 4-5% to the requirements. Therefore, the Textile Industries have to depend on the exported cotton.