Rookee India Hidden Woodworking Gems

Rookee India Hidden Woodworking Gems takes you on a journey through history, showcasing lesser-known but exquisite woodworking pieces and sometimes the ugly side of colonialism - but with a glimpse into craftsmanship and inqenuity of bygone eras. You'll discover hidden gems that highlight the artistry and cultural signifance of India's woodworkng past and future. For this is a short history of woodworking in the India subcontinent from the 17th century to the 20th century – documenting the treasures of the Mughal Kings through the English occupation to the emergence of a merchant class of craftsmen serving local and international clientele. One can see how each generation of craftsmen were reborn into another version of themselves until they evolved to the highest level. The video focuses on the woodworking families in a small village, Roorkee, on the Ganges River in the Northwest Providences, and the creation of a collapsible canvas chair with wooden turned legs developed for the Indian Army Corp of Engineers – known as the Roorkee Chair. During my research, I was impressed with the recent changing interpretation of history from the British narrative to the more realistic view of Indian scholars. I suspect that the realistic view will trace the skills of these craftsmen to adapt to cultural changes within their small village and emerge as a merchant class – internationally respected for the “Hindustani” hand skills – replicating ancient carvings; and developing “Inglistani” machine-based industrial production. It is my belief that, in the 1890s, the fictional team of India workers portrayed in this video did serve as the creative source of the Roorkee Chair in the village of Roorkee. Timeline 1:25 Creation of Mughal Furniture 2:14 Textile Sales on Silk Road 3:24 Woodworking during British Raj 5:19 Decimation of Indian Textile Industry 7:48 Prison Workers in Woodworking 9:22 India Market Emerges 11:05 Need for new products 11:39 Development of Roorkee Prototype 14:12 Credits My research exposed me to the Indian scholarship and I gained a respect for the true India culture. I apologize for any errors in information and judgement I have made. Thank you for the opportunity. This is another Hoosierwoodcraft production. Please subscribe to this channel.