The entire synthetic dyes industry was built over the discovery of Aniline.

Aniline was first synthesized in 1826 by Otto Unverdorben by extracting it from natural indigo plant. This was followed up by Carl Julius Fritzsche in 1840, who treated indigo plant with caustic potash and named it "Aniline", after the indigo plant named "Anil".
But Aniline remained useless, in terms of dyes industry, until Sir William Perkin accidentally synthesied the first-ever synthetic dye, the Mauvine.

But where did the name "Anil" come from?
It is belived that the Portugese name the plant as "Anil", from the Arabic word "An-nil". "An-nil" was derived from the Persian word "Nila".
And the Persians derived it from the Indian Sanskrit word "Nilah".

So, the journey was as treachourously long as the discovery!