Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s4.74

c7.s4.74

The opium-eating of the Emperor Humayun is very well known. The Rajputs have acquired a well-deserved fame for opium-eating. They are still notorious for this weakness. Opium-eating is still prevalent among common people, though the recent restrictions of the League of Nations will go a long way to restrict its production and consumption.¹ The favourite drug of the Hindu religious orders was *bhang* (or leaves of hemp) and numerous references are made to it in religious literature. It will be interesting to know in this connection that the Sikh tradition credits the Mughal Emperor Babur with offering *bhang* to their Guru Nanak, as the pious gift of one darwish to another.² The smoking of tobacco was introduced after the period under review and so does not concern us directly. Poison was taken in exceptional cases to counteract the effect of poison. This habit was naturally limited to the princes who were always exposed to the danger of being poisoned. The Hindu folklore is familiar with the ‘poison maid’. Mahmud Shah and Muzaffar Shah of Gujarat are both well-known instances of extreme poisoning.³