Opium the black gold.
As per pages of history, East India Company and
Portuguese have moved ship loads of opium for centuries,
from undivided India. They had an army of negotiators, procurers, transporters and landing agents through out the country.
Portuguese had a Viceroy at Goa. His job was to supervise.
Calcutta and Goa buzzed with opium transport round the year.
It went to China via Singapore Hong Kong and Macau.
The poppy fields were spread over miles unto miles, on the outskirts of Mountain Heights of Afghanistan.
It needs mastery in secreting sticky liquid from the fallen petal. It was collected in earthen bowls. It was allowed to sun-dry. The moisture would dry out and it would turn out the black gold, the opium lump.
Poppy plants were grown in the fields spread miles unto miles, extended to both side of the river. The old castle at the top of the hill was a shelter for all, working in the fields in this region. There were hundreds of workers plucking the petal and incising them, as taught and trained.
This is the story prior to the reforms when the princely states were lords and masters in their respective states.
Princes inherited these fields from their ancestors. They used to grow poppy plants in the valleys behind the mountains extended to lush forests. From the sticky juice from poppy- petal came the substance with immense power to stimulate pleasure, cause numbness of the brain. Use of opium was moving among the princely states like plague.
The scene reflects life in undivided India in the early part of the eighteenth century. The people were moderately advanced in the stages of life. The kingly states lost their kingdom in pursuit of horse races, bullfights, keeping harems and consuming opium. Since birth, the prince child was administered liquid opium.
By the time he turned an adult, he turned out a confirmed opium-eater, an addict. Taking opium was symbolic, a matter of pride. It was a status symbol to serve liquid opium in the courtroom to their office bearer and guests. It led them to their way to financial physical and mental ruin. This craze was crazy enough for the innocent victim’s friends and families of opium consumers, crime victims and those who unknowingly became involved in it. For ages nations have been consuming these items in different forms. It begins with a mild stimulant. Thereafter the journey of its intake progresses to more serious stages. Ultimately it gets transformed into a killer-drug.
