BACKGROUND: Much of the written history on tobacco has been European accounts of mostly cigarettes written from economic perspective. This bias reflects in global tobacco control strategies's focus on cigarettes. We aim to trace how major non-cigarette indigenous forms of tobacco evolved in India from 1600 to 1900.
METHODS: We write narratives about early forms of smoking (hookah, bidis) and smokeless tobacco industry in India using primary and secondary historical sources (literature, imagery).
RESULTS: Following the arrival of tobacco in India by Portuguese merchants at the start of the 17th century, the presence of diverse soil types and ingenuity of farmers created several varieties of tobacco in India. ‘Hookah’ evolved as a major form of smoking tobacco introduced/invented in early 17th century Mughal India, wherein tobacco smoke is diluted by passing it through water. The end of 18th century witnessed the popularisation of tobacco infused ‘paan’, a traditional mouth freshener in Indian culture. 1860s saw the development of a fragrant form of chewable tobacco called ‘zarda’ and later ‘khaini’ that has raw tobacco mixed with slaked lime which continues to be the most consumed form of chewable tobacco in India. Hookahs were replaced by ‘bidis’ as more portable mean that also transcended caste/class barriers wherein tobacco is rolled in ‘tendu’ leaves. Bidi cultivation became prominent in India towards the end of 19th century following the great famine of Deccan of 1899. Bidi production and use was further facilitated by the Indian ‘swadesi’ movement that called for boycott of British goods.
CONCLUSIONS: This brief history suggests how many indigenous forms of tobacco use evolved in India and became prominent in the subcontinent over time. This implies the need for tobacco control strategies to consider the myriad forms of tobacco products and the linked social/cultural/economic contexts for them to be effective and meaningful.