The courtly patka can be traced to the sixteenth century through its depiction in Mughal and Deccan sultanate paintings. Surviving examples, mostly from the seventeenth and eighteenth century, are generally made of silk or muslin and approximately 3 to 5 metres long and half a metre wide. Many of these patkas feature relatively plain bodies — except in the more lavish examples — with geometric or floral motifs and patterns in their end panels or pallaka, which are often repeated in a thinner border on the long edges. 

The patka is ubiquitous in early Mughal manuscript paintings such as those of the Tutinama and the Hamzanama made under Akbar (r. 1556–1605). Here it is frequently seen with the single, large loop in the knot and being used to carry small objects such as handkerchiefs and rosaries in addition to daggers. In the Hamzanama, women too are shown wearing patka-like sashes, known as phenta, tied at the waist of their pyjamas — though these are largely hidden beneath the outermost garment with only the ends visible. The Mughal patkas from this period are usually modest — some sparsely decorated but most depicted as plain white. 

The etiquette surrounding dress became more complex at the courts of Akbar’s successors Jahangir (r. 1605–27) and Shah Jahan (r. 1628–58), as reflected in the paintings, especially portraits, of the time. Jahangir and other high-ranking men in his milieu are often shown wearing two patkas, one usually shorter than the other. In some cases, both patkas are colourful and richly woven or embroidered, sometimes with gold brocade; in others one is plain white to create a contrast. This style continues into Shah Jahan’s reign, but the loose ends become significantly shorter. The Padshahnama paintings also show that a decorated leather belt was often worn on top of the courtly patka to hold it in place as various items were carried at the waist.

Over time, Mughal cultural influence is increasingly evident in patka design and weaving in other courtly cultures. The Deccani patka, initially developing roughly in parallel with the Mughal, appears in the painted manuscripts and albums of the Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and Golconda sultanates. In the earliest paintings, from mid- to late-sixteenth-century Ahmadnagar, the patka has brocaded ends that are particularly long, sometimes almost reaching the wearer’s ankles. They are often shown draped over a small metal container carried at the waist on its own girdle. By the late seventeenth century, the shortened ends of the Shah Jahan-style patka appear not only in the Deccan, but also in the Pahari and Rajput courts, which generally kept in step with changing Mughal styles, though with some variations such as the picchauri-style tie, in which the loose ends are tucked back.

Patkas seen in several paintings made under Shah Jahan and the early years of Aurangzeb’s reign (1658–1707) — a period that set the standard for later Mughal courtly attire — feature the highly recognisable flowering plant motif seen across Mughal art and architecture. Several surviving examples of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century patkas from across regions carry this motif. Its variations include a single plant with one flower at the top, a plant with multiple flowers, or multiple plants arranged in a row across the ends of the patka. Such a row would comprise an even number of motifs to allow half of them to remain cleanly visible when the patka was folded lengthwise down the middle, as was often the custom at the Mughal court. In most cases, the edges and body are decorated with individual flowers or flowering vines. The most lavish variety of the Mughal patka was made with two interwoven layers using zari and silk. The front layer features the decorative motifs in silk, with a 1/3 twill weave where the weft is gold and the warp is silk. The back layer is plain weave and entirely silk. The warps and wefts of the two layers are sometimes interwoven to join the layers together, give the fabric strength, and create motifs or patterns.  

The more elaborate Deccani patkas are heavily brocaded and embellished, featuring floral and geometric motifs, particularly chevron, stripe and diamond patterns. Many feature three bands along the length of the garment: two identical ones on each edge and a central strip in a contrasting colour, creating a similar visual effect as the Jahangiri double-patka; this style appears to go out of fashion by the late sixteenth century, however. Some surviving examples from Deccan courts bear seals of the royal toshkhana (‘treasure house’ or gift collection).

An early-eighteenth-century painting depicting Maharana Sangram Singh II of Mewar (r. 1710–34) on horseback depicts the king wearing what is possibly a unique patka, showing a narrative scene with human and animal figures on its ends. The patka appears to be made of silk and gold, with the illustration likely embroidered. A similar example of narrative imagery on a patka is seen in a 1775 painting of Raja Prakash Chand, then ruler of Guler. The patka’s design may be derived from the Chamba rumal produced in the Punjab Hills.

By the nineteenth century, cotton patkas had largely replaced silk ones and zari was used less often. Little is known of cotton patkas from the eighteenth century or earlier — either because they were rare or were not valuable enough to be preserved. Wool, though extensively used for shawls patronised by Mughal kings, is not known to have been used for making Mughal patkas. A few fine woollen patkas from the late eighteenth century onwards have survived: while some feature intricate woven patterns in the style of Kani shawls, others are embellished with sozni or amli embroidery and needlework. Both plain and patterned patkas are among the Kashmiri woollen goods known to have been made for export in the nineteenth century; they were larger than the extant silk patkas, at over 7 metres long and 1 metre wide.

Innovation in patka design effectively ended after British colonisation and the end of sovereignty for many Indian kingdoms in the nineteenth century. The courtly patkas that were still made featured older motifs and designs — though these were often embroidered, painted or block-printed rather than achieved through the earlier complex weaving technique. 

Today, historical patkas are housed in several museums and private collections across the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the V&A Museum and the Boston Museum of Fine Art.