Carpet weaving is not an indigenous craft of India. It was the Mughal rulers of India, who first introduced carpet weaving in the 16th century. Over time carpet weaving traveled to Rajasthan, and the Rajput rulers of Amber and Jaipur patronized the art. The thick woolen carpets with their rich paisley designs, comparable to the carpets of Persia gradually traveled from the homes of the kings to the common citizens of the country. The heavy carpets over time attained the form of the cool, light Durries.

Woolen carpets were known in India as early as 500 B.C. References to woven mats and floor coverings can be found in ancient and medieval Indian literature. But the most famous type of Indian carpets, pile carpets came to India in the reign of Akbar in 16th century.

In 1580 A.D. Akbar brought Persian carpet weavers to India and established them there. The art grew and flourished. It was modified per the royal tastes and mixed with the Indian arts. The Persian carpets were thus Indianized.  It spread to the whole subcontinent with each area having its own specialties.

From the beginning, wool or silks have been the basic material of the knotted carpets. The wool may have a variety of origins as per the type of carpet being made. Silk knots are also used in Kashmir region. The patterns varied from vines and floral patterns, animal and bird figures and geometric and calligraphic patterns.

Rugs from Akbar's reign (1556-1605) used cotton warp and wool pile and color scheme had multiple shades of blues, greens, and other colors on a red base. The patterns were an adaptation of Persian style but later modified to Indian tastes.