During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, carpets of great beauty were made in India from the finest sheep's wool and silks using the Persian knot. However, from the 19th century until the 1940s, the quality declined considerably, with the exception of low production in the cities of Srinagar, Amritsar and Agra. After Indian independence in 1947, commercial manufacturing saw a new beginning. Although most of the carpet weavers had fled to Pakistan, production was quickly revived thanks to efforts devoted to training young men and women.
