Indian carpets made towards the end of the 19th century are not to be considered as a natural continuation of the tradition of the Moghul court manufactures, nor do they find their origin in the traditions from the villagers.
The Moghul carpets made in limited quantities and the manufactures had disappeared by the end of the 18th century.
Rural production mainly consisted of flatweaves (dhurries) rather than knotted pieces.
Commercial prospects caused a revival of knotted carpet production in India. It was in the hands of the government between 1860 and the end of the century: looms were introduced in the jails of Lahore, Amritsar, Agra, Poona and some other cities, looms. It seemed that order and discipline could be better maintained when inmates were put to work and had a daily occupation.
The fact that some private workshops in Lahore also enjoyed a certain success is only a fringe phenomenon.
The Indian carpet was presented at the World Fairs in London and Chicago (1895). A huge demand emerged from the United States, which in the early 20th century, only continued to rise. However, this pushed up production so much that quality-standards diminished. Indian rugs gradually lost their reputation of excellence.
During the last few decades a few workshops started making efforts to improve quality.