The early history of carpets in India is obscure. If the early Aryan rulers there in ancient times had carpets like their nomadic Iranian and Persian relatives, they have left no trace in the archaeological or historical record. By the thirteenth century, Northern India had been conquered by Muslims who establish the Dehli Sultanates, which had strong cultural ties with Persia. It seems likely that these rulers had already introduced the medium of the knotted carpet to India, but again, none has survived, so far as we know. Things changed in 1526 when the expatriate Timurid prince Babur invaded India and founded the Mughal Dynasty. Under this great patron of arts and letters, all creative media flourished, and they continued to do so under his successors Akbar, Jahangir, and Jahan, down through the seventeenth century. From the reign of Akbar on, carpet weaving became a major medium of artistic expression in India. Initially this production was launched by imported master weavers from Safavid Persia, and the Mughal carpets of Akbar's reign look very much like their Persian counterparts. Over time, in the seventeenth century Mughal carpets evolved with a distinctive design and palette with a more local Indian flavor. Floral designs became more naturalistic, reflecting the impact of European painting, which the Mughal Emperors both knew and prized. Medallion designs gave way to allover lattice patterns or semi-pictorial compositions of lush vegetal motifs. The palette became more pungent with rich tones of red and green contrasting against ivory or white. Mughal carpets were especially prized for their extremely soft and fine “Pashmina” wool. After the British conquest of India in the mid eighteenth century, however, carpet weaving declined steadily.