Hookah

Lore & Background

The hookah was invented by Abul-Fath Gilani, an Iranian physician in the Mughal court of Akbar, in the Indian city of Fatehpur Sikri during Mughal India. It spread from the Indian subcontinent to Persia first, where the mechanism was modified to its current shape, and then to the Ottoman empire. Alternatively, it may have originated in the Safavid dynasty of Persia, from where it spread to the Indian subcontinent. A quatrain by Persian poet Ahlī Shirazi (d. 1535) refers to the use of the ḡalyān, suggesting use at least as early as the time of Shah Ṭahmāsp I, though there is no evidence of the water pipe until the 1560s.

Reader's Guide

The hookah's significance lies in its long history as a social and cultural smoking device, particularly in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, and its recent global spread among young people. Despite initial taboo, it became popular among nobility and then widely accepted. Modern developments include use of stainless steel, aluminum, and silicone rubber, but traditional hookahs are still common in rural South Asia, where unflavored tobacco is burned directly with charcoal, delivering higher nicotine and more adverse health effects. The commercial hookah industry has grown globally, with companies like Al Fakher (Lebanon) and Nakhla Tobacco (Egypt). Public health concerns are major: water does not filter out toxic chemicals, carcinogens, or heavy metals, and sharing hookahs can transmit infectious diseases. The word 'hookah' derives from the Hindustani 'huqqa', of Arabic origin, and entered English during British colonization of India.

Did You Know?

• The word 'hookah' derives from the Hindustani word 'huqqa', of Arabic origin, meaning 'casket, bottle, water pipe'.
• Early hookahs may have been hewn from coconut shells, as suggested by the name 'nargilah' deriving from Sanskrit 'nārikela' (coconut).
• Burned tobacco used in traditional South Asian hookahs delivers a much higher content of tobacco and nicotine than vaporized flavored tobacco.