In around 1750 AD, India was a major country of cotton production in the entire world Indian clothes were world famous for their quality and fine craftsmanship across the world. These clothes were in huge demand in south-eastern Asia (Java, Sumatra, etc.) and in Western and Central Asia. Fine cloth of cotton and silk, especially the muslin sarees from Dhaka were in huge demand in the world. Cotton clothes of Bengal were exported by European companies in large quantities.

In India, Bengal was the major centre of cotton and silken cloth, and outside BengalLucknow, Ahmadabad, Nagpur and Mathura also were major centres of cotton textile. Before the arrival of the English in India, the cotton textile industry of India was leading at international level. India has been conducting trade with various countries of the world even before 2000 BC. Muslin cloth produced by Indian textile industry was wrapped on the Mummies in Egypt and Indian cloth was sold by the name of Gangatika in Greece, which proves the fact that Indian textile industry was at its height at that time.