Why Britain Got Indians Addicted To Tea

We drink it wherever we go - in our homes, at work, when chilling with friends and even at roadside stalls or ‘tapris’. And you’ve got to admit, we can’t live without it. It’s refreshing, it's heartwarming and it gives you an energy hit when you most need it. Anyone who has savoured a steaming glass of 'cutting chai’ will vouch for that.

If you haven't guessed already, we’re referring to that beverage for all seasons-tea. Yet tea-drinking was never a part of Indian culture; the brew was introduced to India by the British less than 200 years ago.

Why on earth did they do that?

Remember, India was then governed by the British East India Company, which turned India into a nation of tea drinkers only so they could fill their teapots back home while reaping a massive profit from it here in India. For a company interested only in making profits, it was a brilliant idea.

But the story of tea isn’t quite as straightforward as that, and is linked to another heady addiction.

The saga of tea goes back to 18th century Britain, which was importing tea in enormous quantities from China. But all this tea drinking was draining the British treasury, and when they could afford it no longer, the English came up with a clever plan. They turned to their cash cow - India - and began selling opium produced in the Indian subcontinent to China. The money thus earned helped them support their tea addiction.

Read More at https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/snapshort-histories/why-britain-got-indians-addicted-to-tea/