A new habit in an old society: Tobacco’s entry and the Mughal debate on novelty

Abstract

This paper examines the arrival of tobacco in India in the late sixteenth century and its rapid spread through Mughal society. Beginning with its introduction via Portuguese maritime trade, the study explores early cultivation, commercial circulation, and the first recorded debate on its safety and social meaning in Akbar’s court. The paper follows changing imperial attitudes, including Jahangir’s attempted prohibition and the continued popularity of tobacco among nobles, soldiers, merchants, and eventually the British. Through close reading of primary sources and travel accounts, the paper argues that tobacco, though foreign, quickly became embedded in everyday life, illustrating the ways in which a conservative society negotiated novelty, risk, and cultural change.