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The origin of the hookah corresponds to the introduction of tobacco into India. When Emperor Akbar received the gift of tobacco and a pipe from a Portuguese ambassador, he took a few puffs out of curiosity and courtesy. The appreciation of tobacco smoke in the court of Akbar was objected to strongly by his royal physician, who forbade him to inhale the smoke, since he was concerned about the ill effects of smoking. Hakim Abul Fath, the Sadr-i-Jahan (chief justice and administrator) in Akbar's court, opposed the circulation of tobacco but Akbar permitted it. A compromise was reached wherein Hakim Abul Fath suggested a remedy to mitigate the pernicious effect of tobacco on health. He advised that tobacco smoke should be first passed through water for purification. This led to the creation of the hookah (hubble bubble or narghile), which became the prevalent form of smoking in the country. Indian men and women smoked hookahs, wherein flavored tobacco was used. Tobacco was flavoured with molasses and kept alight with burning charcoal, the smoke passing through a water bowl to cool and filter it. It is noteworthy that Hakim Abul Fath sought a remedy to counteract the harmful he lth effects of tobacco soon after its introduction, though the Europeans did not devise any measures to check the harmful effects of tobacco. However, passing tobacco smoke through water only filters suspended particles and in no way reduces the dangerous effects of tobacco smoke on the human body. Due to its origin and its patronage by Mughal rulers, hookah became popular in those parts of India where the Mughals had a strong influence. Hookah was popular among men and women of aristocratic and elite classes, especially in north India. As a result, hookah smoking became a part of the culture, and sharing of a hookah became socially acceptable and got associated with brotherhood and a sign of conveying equality. Under the Mughal reign, ornamental hookah became a status symbol, and a wide variety of hookahs were available. The type of hookah ranged from those made of engraved silver, brass and other precious materials, and decorated with enamel or jewels for the upper class, to wooden or coconut shell for the lower class. Paintings of the Mughal period show both men and women smoking hookahs. After its origin in Bihar, the hookah became even more popular and its manufacture spread to other parts of India in 1905.
A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi and English written by J.T. Platt, London, 1884 states: The word tobacco is from the language of Hayty and meant first the pipe, secondly the plant, thirdly the sleep which followed its use. The hookah inspired many writers of that time to write in its appreciation and the peculiar sound that emanates while it is being smoked. An example: It is a friend in whose bosom we may repose our most confidential secrets, and a counselor upon whose advice we may rely in our most important concerns the music of its sound puts the warblings of the nightingale to shame, and the fragrance of its perfume brings a blush on the cheek of a Rose. The employees of the East India Company widely adopted the habit of using hookah and its use became common. It was later replaced by the cheroot as more conservative memsahibs (British women) started arriving in India and frowned on this strange native habit.