The Khaki Cloth - Mangaloreans' gift to the World by Vinod Prem Lobo (Viju Mangalore)
Mangalore October 21, 2007 If the American army claims to be the most advanced combat force equipped with the world's most advanced and sophisticated weaponry and machinery, it was the Mangaloreans who gave them their uniform! Surprised if you are, then here are some interesting facts of how the toil of Mangaloreans gave one of the world's super power their battle costume. Attempts at camouflage under war uniforms were in full swing during the middle of the 18th century, but breaking the trend came the Khaki, which the British adopted from India. In 1844, the missionaries in Mangalore, who knew a little about weaving business, took the initiative and started a weaving industry to give employment. Local weavers were also employed to train young boys. The looms of Basel Mission at Mangalore were pioneering and it was because of master weaver, John Haller that Khaki got its global recognition. However, there is an interesting reference to the birth of Khaki. Sir Henry Lumsden, who was stationed in India in 1846, dyed his cotton pajamas with a plant extract, mazari, to create a uniform more suitable to the climate than the traditional red felt issued at the time. Its tawny color, similar to the region's saffron dust, helped the clothing to blend in with sand. The term 'Khaki' comes from the Hindi and Urdu word for 'earth' or 'dust-coloured' . Lumsden commanded a British army unit in the Punjab. The uniform at that time included resplendent white trousers worn with red tunics. He began wearing pajama bottoms, primarily to find a more comfortable alternative to the trousers in the tropical Punjab heat. The pajamas were of a lighter material and less tightly fitted. To disguise them somewhat, he decided to colour them with a dye that would blend in with the local terrain. He decided to use mazari, a native plant. Lumsden soon realized that his new uniform has another advantage than just comfort. His new Khaki uniform trousers were more suitable in battle than the very conspicuous white pants and red tunic. There were real advantages to being able to blend in with the terrine. John Haller, a trained European weaver, introduced in 1851 the first handloom with fly shelter cottage industry in Mangalore. He also invented new dyes and colour out of indigenous ingredients. The invention of Khaki dye is attributed to him. Lord Robertson who visited the weaving establishment was recommended the newly invented Khaki for the British army uniform the world over. The factory was the most important work of the Basel Mission started in the district in 1865. Haller set up a laboratory and began experimenting with methods for dyeing and weaving fabric. He began to market Khaki and eventually the fabric was adopted by the British Armed Services as the material for uniforms for their troops around the world. Haller expanded production by importing twenty-one looms from Europe, thus upgrading the weaving industry from a cottage industry to a small manufacturing industry. He experimented with the sap of the bark of the semecarpus tree, and here found the colour that came to clothe the marching men of many nations. Haller erected a little factory in Mangalore with 21 handlooms of European construction and a dye house. He was the inventor of the colour 'Khaki' and Khaki cloth now known all over the world was first manufactured in Mangalore. Soon the weaving industry proved to be a success giving many people employment. A branch was opened in Mulki in 1853. The apprentices in this industry were also taught tailoring and embroidery. By 1870, the Basel Mission weaving establishments in various places were not only paying for the cost of the establishments but also made some profit. Master weaver Haller, nineteen months after setting up the unit, had more than twenty looms, at which, twenty-seven workers including six apprentices, were employed. By 1856, their skill had progressed so far that the Basel looms won second prize at an industrial fair at Madras. The police chief of Mangalore was so enthusiastic that he clothed his entire police force in this colour. And on a visit to the Basel Mission weaving establishment at Balmatta, Lord Roberts of Kandahar, then Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty's forces, was so impressed with the practicality of this cloth that, it is said, he emphatically recommended its introduction into the British Army, which followed. And so it may be that from this humble mission beginning, Khaki began its march around the world. The British Army introduced Khaki uniforms to British colonial troops in India in 1848. It would be many years before Khaki became standard issue in the British army. The British used Khaki uniforms for the Kaffir War in South Africa during 1851. After the Sudan Wars and Afghan Campaign of 1878, the British Army adopted Khaki in 1884 as the official uniform. Khaki-colour dye was patented in 1884. Khaki became popular as US military wear during World War II, replacing the coarse material used in fatigues in World War I. By this time, Khaki had come to symbolize adventure, a concept wholly embraced by Hollywood. Not only was it popular in tinsel town, it was also a staple on college campuses. President John F Kennedy's penchant for it added to its allure in the 1960s. The contribution of Mangalore by giving Khaki to the world is immense. It became the cradle to this colour and material which brought a wave of fashion brands. Quite before India gave Khadi to the world, it was Mangaloreans who gave it Khaki. http://www.daijiworld.com/chan/exclusive_arch.asp?ex_id=692