Spread of Cotton Cultivation

Timeline

1. c. 900–930Surat · GujaratCotton fields in Gujarat and the Malabar Coast yielded abundant harvests; local weavers produced high-quality cotton cloth using treadle spinning wheels and fine dyeing techniques, exported by Arab merchants to Persian Gulf and Red Sea ports.
2. c. 930–970Bukhara · UzbekistanThe Samanids promoted cotton cultivation in Transoxiana; Bukhara and Samarkand became cotton spinning centers, and Indian cotton varieties and textile techniques spread along the Silk Road into Central Asian oasis agricultural zones.
3. c. 970–1000Multan · PunjabAfter the Ghaznavids controlled northwestern India, the cotton regions of Punjab and Sind were incorporated into the imperial economy; cotton textiles became important goods for tribute and trade, linking Indian and Persian markets.