Chikankari is an ancient form of white floral embroidery, intricately worked with needle and raw thread. Its delicacy is mesmeric. For centuries, this fine white tracery on transparent white fabric has delighted the heart of king and commoner alike. It is a complex and elegant craft that has come down to us, evolving, over the years into an aesthetic form of great beauty. That it has survived the loss of royal patronage, suffered deeply at the hands of commercialization, lost its way sometimes in mediocrity and yet stayed alive, is a tribute to the skill and will of the craftspersons who have handed down this technique from one generation to another.

Origins
Chikancraft is rooted in antiquity. The origins of Chikan are shrouded in mystery and legend. Some historians opine, that Chikan is a Persian craft, brought to the Mughal courts of the Emperor Jehangir by his beautiful and talented consort Mehrunissa. The queen was a talented embroiderer and she so pleased the king with this ethereal, white floral embroidery that it was soon given recognition and royal patronage. Workshops were established wherein this embroidery was practiced and perfected.
The word ‘Chikan’ is probably a derivative from the Persian word ‘Chikin’ or Chikeen which means a kind of embroidered fabric.In all probability the word Chikan is used for the white floral embroidery that Mehrunnissa brought with her from Persia. This form of embroidery became very popular with the king and his nobles and was embroidered on the finest Daccai mulmuls or muslin garmentswhich were most appropriate for the hot, tepid climate of Delhi.
There are some very fine Mughal miniatures that depict the Emperor Jehangir in white flowing muslin garments. Historians believe this could be chikan. After the decline and fall of the Mughal court, the artisans and craftsmen scattered across the length and breadth of India. Some settled in West Bengal, so for some time chikan flourished in Calcutta, though it is no longer practiced there. Some fled to the Northern state of Awadh and settled in the royal courts of the descendents of Burhan ul Mulk, a Persian nobleman, who had found favour with the last Mughal King, Bahadur Shah and was appointed as the Governor of Awadh.
Under the cultured, sophisticated influence of the rulers of Awadh, chikankari began to flourish yet again. It is interesting to note that Chikan was brought to India, supposedly by a Persian lady and later, it was given patronage and impetus in Awadh under rulers of Persian origin.
The origins of Chikancraft, therefore, remain shrouded in the mists of time. But we can say with some justification that it gained a meaningful presence in Lucknow and its surrounding areas sometime during the late18th and early 19th century when it was brought to the Lakhnawi courts of the nawabs. It was patronized by the self-indulgent, pleasure-loving nawabs, favoured by local rajahs, sultans and zamindars and became a very intrinsic part of Lakhnawi grace and culture.
The Mughal influence is strongly evident in the development of Chikancraft. It can be traced back to the great Islamic empires of the 16th and 17th centuries, such as those of Safavid Persia, India and turkey. All three empires were affluent and encouraged the development of art and craft. The Mughal kings set up workshops in their courts based on the Persian Karkhanas. Here artisans and skilled craftsmen were encouraged to produce works of great art, such as paintings, textiles, jewellery, and objects of art in stone, wood, marble and mother-of-pearl.