During the Shang Dynasty, agriculture had a great development, and the sericulture industry also formed a certain scale. Although the number of Shang Dynasty silk fabrics discovered by archaeology is limited, jacquard silk fabrics have appeared, which shows that the weaving technology at that time has reached a considerable level.
During the Western Zhou Dynasty, the rulers had already strictly organized and managed the industrial production, and the silk production technology had improved compared with the Shang Dynasty.
The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period was a period of transition from slavery to feudalism in Chinese history. The productive forces and social and economic patterns have undergone tremendous changes. The sericulture and silk industry has also received attention, and the development of agricultural mulberry has become an important national policy for the prosperity of the country and the people.
During the Warring States Period, farmers who combined agriculture and handicrafts became the basic production units of society, and handicrafts became an important part of the agricultural economy. The specialization of silk production is more obvious, and some technologies have been passed down from generation to generation and reached a very high level. Silk can be produced in almost all places, and the varieties of silk are also abundant, mainly divided into three categories: silk, silk, and brocade. The emergence of brocade is an important milestone in the history of Chinese silk. It combines the excellent performance of silk with fine art. It is not only a noble clothing material, but also a work of art. It has greatly improved the cultural connotation and historical value of silk products and has a far-reaching impact. At this time, Chinese silk also spread to India. The Indian politician and philosopher Kodillier’s book "Political Affairs" contains the word cinapatta, which means "a bundle of Chinese silk." In addition, it can be seen from many characters in Sanskrit that the ancient Indian people had a much more accurate understanding of silk than the Greeks and Romans. They knew that silk was spit by worms, and silk was drawn from cocoons.
