What is Hookah?
The term Hookah is actually a devangari term. Its etymological root can be found in the nastaleeq word ‘huqqa’ which means a water pipe. It is a single or multi-stemmed instrument for smoking tobacco in which the smoke is cooled by passing it through water.
The earlier Hookahs were very simple in construct with a base made out of a coconut shell to which a pipe was attached thus imparting a rugged and primitive look to it. These Hookahs were designed to smoke hashish and opium.
The origins of hookah cannot be stated with exactness. It is of dubious origin since some holds the opinion that it originated in India while others are of the view that it originated from Persia. According to one legend the Hookah originated nearly a millennium back in the north western provinces of India from where it spread to the Middle Eastern countries via Pakistan. It is believed that it acquired ‘tombeik’ or dark tobacco grown in Iran on its way through the Persian kingdom. But if we adhere to the other legend which is in circulation the Hookah was supposedly introduced by a Persian physician named Abu-l Fateh Gilani at the court of the great Mughal emperor Akbar. Gilani descended from the northern Persian province of Gilan in Iran. It
should be mentioned here that the Hookah was already in use in Persia since the time of Shah Tahmasp I. When Gilani came to India tobacco smoking was just introduced by the Europeans and it was gaining in popularity. Owing to the growing popularity of the tobacco smoking Gilani raised concerns of health hazards and tried to device an instrument which will filter the impurities and “purify” the smoke. He thus envisaged a system which allowed the smoke to pass through water before smoking. This device gained a huge popularity among the noble men and subsequently amongst the masses as well. It in fact became a status symbol for the upper class gentry of the Rajputs, Jats and the Bishnois. Thus if we take both of these legends to be true then the inference is that while the primitive Hookahs that originated in India almost a millennium ago was used for smoking opium and hashish was used for smoking tobacco in Persia. It was also slightly modified there and this modified version was introduced by Gilani at the Mughal court. It also underwent a change in its design with its growing popularity amongst the nobles and upper class gentry. The design became more complicated with a metal or a glass base with intricate designs on it thus adding to its beauty.
