🗓️ Madras Checks: A Historical Timeline

  • 5000 BCE
    Domestication of cotton begins in the Indus Valley (Mehrgarh, Harappa), laying foundations for textile traditions.
  • 2000–1500 BCE
    Madder-dyed fabrics appear in Mohenjo-Daro; early textile specialists using natural dyes.
  • 1500 BCE
    Indigo pigments from India discovered in Egyptian tombs—early inkling of international dye trade.
  • 600 BCE
    Ancient physician Sushruta refers to cloth used in medical dressings, indicating development of woven textiles.
  • 300 BCE
    Tamil Sangam texts document trade of vibrant cloths with Rome, Greece, and Sri Lanka via coastal ports.
  • 100 CE
    Discoveries in Egypt (Roman coins + Tamil cotton) reveal active Indo-Roman maritime commerce.
  • 900 CE
    Chola Dynasty exports Tamil cotton textiles to Java, Cambodia, and China—woven patterns circulated widely.
  • 1154 CE
    Arab geographer Al‑Idrisi describes bustling Tamil ports and flourishing textile exports.
  • 1298 CE
    Marco Polo writes of South India:
    “They weave the cloth with such artistry… no other kingdom has their equal.”
  • 1325 CE
    Ibn Battuta records Tamil weaving centers and bustling markets in South India.
  • 1498 CE
    Vasco da Gama reaches Calicut, praising Indian cotton and dyes.
  • 1500 CE
    Portuguese traders begin moving Tamil check & striped lungis to West Africa; cloth known as “Injiri”/“George cloth.”
  • 1600 CE
    East India Company starts exporting “Madras cloth” from ports like Nagapattinam and Saidapet; Italian weaves in local looms.
  • Mid-1600s
    Tamil check fabrics like kattam already in regional use (turbans, lungis); check + stripe traditions firmly in place.
  • 1750 CE
    Introduction of the flying shuttle accelerates output; British power looms in Europe attempt to copy Madras cloth.
  • Late 1700s
    UK & French import bans to shelter local mills; Tamil weavers export via intermediaries to West Africa and the Americas.
  • 1800s
    British troops in India wear Scottish-tartan styled Madras checks; monarchy embraces it—fabric hailed as “Real Madras.”
  • 1907 CE
    Swiss trader A. Brunnschweiler & Co. sets up trading hub in Madras; local merchants start exporting directly.
  • 1950s–1960s
    Bleeding Madras becomes Ivy League fashion in the US.
    Marketed with pride:
    “…the hues merge and change with every wash.”
    Princeton reunion jackets and upper-class youth adopt the style.
  • Early 1990s
    Handwoven Madras accounts for ~10% of India’s handloom exports; blurred markets, but still held prestige.
  • Late 1990s–2000s
    Rise of colorfast, machine-woven versions; traditional techniques decline.
  • 2010s–2020s
    Revival efforts begin: designers commission traditional weavers; experimental uses in art and NFTs begin.
  • 2025 (Now)
    Pixel-stitched generative Madras Checks on Bitcoin Ordinals; fading code, fading cloth—your version of bleeding history.

Tamil Glossary

  • நூல் (nool) – thread
  • கட்டம் (kattam) – check
  • பட்டு (pattu) – silk

Dye Table

  • Indigo
  • Madder
  • Turmeric
  • Lac

Loom Structure Notes

  • Pit loom
  • Backstrap
  • Treadle