In the Deccan region of India between the mid-sixteenth and the mid-seventeenth
centuries, this chapter argues, textiles from a variety of both foreign and domestic
sources were an integral part of social life. Deccani portraits of this period document
the astonishing variety of fabrics available to the local elite, and carefully
differentiate the costume of the figures depicted, in a manner that reflects the
sitters’ range in social status, ethnic background, and political aspirations. This
chapter examines the extent to which such novel engagement with clothing
mobilised what Bhabha calls the “identity effects” of dressing. In the courtly
world of the Deccan, characterised by cultural diversity, textiles could serve the
purpose of encoding notions of origin, belonging, and affiliations, as well as a
broader repertoire of possible identifications. Dress was thus an intricate part of
establishing identity in the Deccani political milieu.
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