The concept of 36 Karkhanas (36 industries/production areas of artisans) was initiated in India during the Sultanate period and further strengthened in northern India during the Mughal period. The state patronized and controlled numerous wage artisans of various crafts. The imperial Karkhanas were an example of collective and large-scale employment of artisans or craftspersons in different crafts. The Karkhanas were meant to cater to the household needs of the royalty and the state requirements. The Karkhanas worked on a large scale, for instance, numerous artisans in various kinds of crafts were patronized at Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Gujarat and Lahore Karkhanas. In Jaipur, Sawai Jai Singh II adapted these thirty-six Karkhanas to suit the royal and city functions of the new city. Historic documents such as Dastur Komwar, Buddhivilas and karkhanajat papers record the names of artisans who came from distinct areas to settle down in the newly built Jaipur city. It reveals that Sawai Jai Singh II not only invited local artisans from the previous capital of Amber but also welcomed new techniques of arts and crafts from other areas like Gujarat, Agra, Delhi and Bengal etc.
The 36 karkhanas were a series of workshops under the royal administration of which several were dedicated to crafts and folk arts. These can be traced in some parts of the walled city even today.
1. Kapad Dwara
2.Pothikhana
3. Surathkhana
4. Khyalkhana
5. Silahkhana
6,7. Farrashkhana and Mashalkhana
8,9,10,11,12. Palkikhana, Pheelkhana, Baggikhana, Shutarkhana, Rathkhana
13,14. Tabela and Aatish
15. Gwalera or Gokhana
16. Shikaarkhana
17. Rasoda or Rasowara
18. Modikhana
19, 20, 21. Tambolkhana, Aukhadkhana and Tatterkhana
22,23. Imaratkhana and Mistrikhana
24. Naqqarkhana or Naubatkhana
25. Gunijankhana
26. Karkhana Punya
27. Bagaayat
28. Khabar
29.Tarkashi (Gota-kinari)
30. Khusbookhana or Itra ki Ori
31. Nakkhas (or horse transportation)
32. Patangkhana
33. Paatarkhana
34. Rangkhana
35. Roshan Chauki Khana
36. Tannery or Pakherkhana
For more details: https://my.visme.co/view/z4pyjn91-36-karkhanas
While most of the original 36 karkhanas are more symbolic in Jaipur’s history as they lost significance with changes in royal systems and lifestyle, 11 of them linked to the city economy and rituals still continue to thrive and flourish.
Dialogue on 36 Karkhanas
