Moradabad is an Indian city in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Moradabad is said to have been an integral part of many early dynasties such as Maukhari, Mughal, Maurya, Gupta, Nanda, and Panchal. It held a special designation during the reign of Akbar, a Mughal emperor.
It was named Rustam Nagar in 1624 after Rustam Khan, who was the Governor of Sambhal captured the province. However, early 1700s saw the shift of names from Rustam Nagar to Rohilkhand State.
It was later that the name of the city finally settled onto Moradabad, after the name Murad, who was the son of the Shah Jahan.
It was during the commencement of the 19th century, Indian brassware saw a hope for better as the British started to export Indian brassware handicrafts to other parts of the world. The trend saw no decline even after Independence in 1947.
The brassware industry saw a major boom in the 1980s. The brassware handicraft market took a grand leap in the local as well as the overseas market. The demand of our products was high and the revenue generated was better than it ever was.
With time, Moradabad came to be called the Brass city or ‘Pital Nagri’ of India as it was the major exporter of brass throughout the world. Germany, Britain, European countries, Canada, Middle East Asia, and the USA are amongst the most attractive markets which have fanned the flame of the Indian brassware.
However, with time, the demand has seen a major shift but not for good this time. Here are a few reasons why Moradabad – the brass city of India, is facing issues in the past years:
Depreciating Currency Value –
The value of Indian currency has seen a huge dip in the last decade. As and when our currency goes down, the sales go down along. Thus, Indian artisans are finding it more and more difficult to survive by working with brass handicrafts alone.
High Raw Material Cost –
Brass, as a raw material is high in cost. In sync with the previous point, the dipping currency value renders it increasingly difficult for private, small, and independent artisans of Moradabad to get a hold of huge quantity of raw materials for larger and varied production.
High Crafting Cost –
The art of sculpting brass to bring out the desired outcome is not an easy or low cost task. Owners of factories or independent artisans are not able to craft a lot of products because the demand is getting low while the material cost has gotten higher due to increased taxes.
Conclusion
It is up to us to keep the status of Moradabad as the brass city of India alive. India is proud to be amongst the largest manufacturers of brassware handicrafts gift items online all over the world.
However, the above points are making the oldest of brass handicraft manufacturers to turn towards other lower cost materials and metals. If this continues, then India will soon lose its title as the largest manufacturer of brass handicrafts.