Katzeb

Katzeb was an article of dress encircling the body, at the waist with ends hanging in the front. It was a kind of sash also called patka.

Name

Katzeb is a compound word. The Sanskrit word Kati means waist, and Zeb in Persian means adorn. Mughals wore it over the Jama (coat). The Katzeb is a girdle named by the third Mughal emperor Akbar who was very fashion enthusiastic and gave a new name to many contemporary costumes. These are described in Ain-i-Akbari by Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak.

Court costume

Katzeb was a small rectangular piece of cloth but it was an essential garment of the dress that includes a jama, shawl, turban tanzeb . There are many Mughal paintings of the emperors with a sword or dagger tucked in ''Katzeb.''

Styles

The katzeb is simple cloth belt like garment possible with many variants such as plain, laced, embroidered, brocaded or printed.