How Pashmina became Cashmere
Pashmina and Cashmere, You surely have heard both. You surely know there is some connection but you are not really sure. Today, I will take you to a journey. At the end you will know what to buy and what not to.
In 1800s, Raja Gulab Singh ruled over Jammu and Kashmir. His empire was flourishing both economically and politically. It had won wars with the neighboring state of Ladkh and Ruthok. As a result of the war, Ladkh and Ruthok, where mountain goats were raised in large numbers by Changpa nomads, entered in a treaty with the Kashmiri empire for the priced white gold- Pashmina. Only Kashmir would have access to this Himalayan treasure. As a result, Kashmir became well known for its very fine and soft Pashmina Shawls.
The British East India company saw a great opportunity and started importing Pashmina to Europe. They needed a name that will sell in West and that is how Pashmina became Cashmere (British way of saying Kashmir).
However, In 1990s a boom in cashmere demand turn out to be a curse for the word 'Pashmina'. 'Cashmere' The word was already legally recognized in countries like the US and the UK. One could not legally sell something else as Cashmere.
Now the problem was 'Cashmere' was still locally (in South Asian region) known as Pashmina. This is where the few dishonest business man saw great opportunity to make money. They started selling nylon as 'Pashmina'. Initially, people did not realize but with time they found out something was wrong and started associating Pashmina as the fake Cashmere.
So next time you want to buy Cashmere- the genuine one, confirm with the seller that it is 'Cashmere' and not 'Pashmina'.