Paper Title
Mughal Perfumery at Jaipur
Abstract
During 17th and 18th centuries wearing perfumes was a mark of luxury and could be afforded by royalty. Perfume was considered an important insignia of royalty. It rendered fragrance to inmates of royal court premises and harem enclosures. It was in personal use of royalty, helped coping the climatic changes, made body and mind fresh in extreme weather conditions. It was utilized for gifts and honour purpose. Royal guests were entertained by embalmed whiffs. Aroma was utilised for therapeutic purposes also. According to physician Ibn Sina in 11th century Persia, fragrance particularly exhilarants affected physiologically upon the heart , and consequently effect on physical and emotional health. It was also integral part of worship, incense disc and fragrance are still used in routine rituals. Perfumes were also used in the kitchen establishment for lending fragrant essence to rich cuisines. It was also used as a chew like zarda.
Fortunately enough, we have at our disposal considerable information contained in Persian texts such as Ain i Akbari and Bayaz i Khushbooi which reveal that there was a separate workshop associated with perfumes in royal household. A more graphic description of them is available to us in our regional records namely Sondhakhana and khushbookhana which are available at Rajasthan State Archives, Bikaner India. This perfumery workshop was involved not only in procurement of essential ingredients but also in preparation of variety of perfumes in these workshops. Our paper focuses on raw material procured, apparatus used, process of and recipes of making perfumes based on our records. Such records as we have explored, reveal not only how meticulously each perfume was made but also how smallest consideration from harvesting flowers etc. at right time to blending varied natural products to achieve exquisite notes of fragrance.
Keywords- Karkhana, Khushbookhana, Perfumery workshop, Royal perfumery workshop