. The book arose from research Ghosh conducted on the historical
opium
Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...
trade and its relation to India and China while he was writing his fiction novel series, the ''Ibis'' trilogy. In it, Ghosh discusses the
history of tea
The history of tea spreads across many cultures throughout thousands of years. The tea plant ''Camellia sinensis'' is both native and probably originated in the borderlands of China and Geography of Myanmar, northern Myanmar. One of the earliest ...
, the
Opium Wars
The Opium Wars () were two conflicts waged between China and Western powers during the mid-19th century.
The First Opium War was fought from 1839 to 1842 between China and Britain. It was triggered by the Chinese government's campaign to ...
and links between
colonialism
Colonialism is the control of another territory, natural resources and people by a foreign group. Colonizers control the political and tribal power of the colonised territory. While frequently an Imperialism, imperialist project, colonialism c ...
and the modern
opioid crisis
The opioid epidemic, also referred to as the opioid crisis, is the rapid increase in the overuse, misuse or abuse, and Drug overdose, overdose deaths attributed either in part or in whole to the class of drugs called opiates or opioids since th ...