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Last updated date: 18th Apr 2024
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Hint: Silk is a natural fibre obtained from the silkworm. It is a crucial animal fibre that can be woven into cloth in textiles. The composition of the silk fibre is mainly made up of fibroin produced by the silkworm in its larval stage to develop into a cocoon.

Complete answer:
As per Chinese history, Empress His Ling Shi, the wife of the mythical Yellow Emperor Leizu, was the first to discover silk as a wearable fibre in the 27th century BC. She first encountered the silk fabric when a cocoon landed into her cup and began to unwind while she was drinking tea underneath a mulberry tree. The queen was so taken by the glistening fibres that she tracked down their origin, the Bombyx mori silkworm located in white mulberry.
The empress quickly advanced sericulture, or silkworm agriculture, as well as the established reel and weaver. This is the first known mention in silk history, and the Chinese held a global dominance on silk manufacture for about 3000 years.
Monarchs exclusively utilized silk at the time, and it was kept hidden for centuries. But it slowly extended throughout Chinese culture, both historically and geographically. It was afterwards traded over the world and spread throughout the world. The 'Silk route' was the name given to the route it used to take. Silken clothes began to spread across Asia from there. Because of its smoothness and gloss, silk quickly became a favourite premium fabric in numerous regions approachable to Chinese traders. So, according to historians, silk was also produced in India. Its usage was discovered during the Indus Valley civilization.

Note:
Through its latest economic reforms, the People's Republic of China has become the world's largest silk manufacturer. The glistening appearance of silk is attributed to the triangular prism-like arrangement of the silk strand that enables silk fabric to refract incoming light at oblique angles, resulting in various hues. China produces 60% of the globe's output.
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