16/10/25
From Mughal Courts to Blue Tokai: Your Morning Coffee Ritual is 400 Years Old
Coffee's story in the Indian context reads like a tale moulded by a chaotic mix of social culture through time, sprinkled with a dash of good ol’ imperialism. From high society mughal courts to your must have weekend brew at Blue Tokai or Subko, this beverage has had a unique journey across India.
Qahwakhanas - India’s First Coffeehouses
In the 17th century, Arab and Turkish merchants brought coffee to India, where it quickly captivated the Mughal elite.
Coffee had already become prominent eastwards in the Muslim world as it served as a beverage deemed fit for social drinking in a culture where alcohol was prohibited.
Edward Terry, in his accounts from Emperor Jahangir's court, observed that courtiers were drawn to coffee's perceived ability to invigorate the spirits, aid digestion, and purify the blood.
The Qahwakhanas - India's first coffeehouses, emerged in cities like Delhi and Lucknow, becoming gathering places for poets, storytellers, and the culturally refined.
The British Tea Takeover
Although coffee was well desired under the Mughals, its popularity faded after the onset of British colonial rule.
The East India Company did the most British thing they could do - aggressively promoted tea cultivation to make an entire subcontinent align with their tastes and export priorities ie. drinking tea.
By the late 1800s, coffee retreated to southern plantations in Mysore, Coorg, and Tamil Nadu, while also losing its place in social culture.
The Indian Coffee House Era
After 1947, the Coffee Board of India attempted to revive the coffee industry by promoting local consumption.
When government-run cafés closed, former employees started worker-owned cooperatives, birthing the Indian Coffee House movement in 1957.
These affordable, egalitarian spaces became gathering spots for writers, journalists, and students, a reflection of newly independent India's democratic spirit.
The Rise of Specialty Coffee
The 1990s brought economic liberalization and café chains like Café Coffee Day (1996) and Barista (2000), transforming coffee into a lifestyle symbol.
The only problem was that these chains had business models in line with the standards of the booming fast food industry led by brands like McDonald’s and KFC.
They strived for convenience rather than craft, with menus listing only items that could be served quickly, while also preserving profit margins.
Then came the 2010s which actually marked India's third wave, a return to coffee as craft, culture, and experience.
The previous two decades saw people get rich, both in terms of money and taste.
Specialty coffee became popular over the previous standard of convenient, fast-food style coffee.
Defined by beans scoring 80+ points on the Specialty Coffee Association scale, it emphasizes single-origin, small-batch roasting and hand-brewing methods like pour-over and AeroPress.
Brands Leading the Revival
Modern brands like Third Wave Coffee, Blue Tokai and Subko have successfully revived the coffeehouse culture in India.
When you say coffee now, people don’t just want a quick cold coffee to-go, they want something that matches their evolving taste.
This renaissance reflects broader cultural shifts. A ₹400 pour-over became a marker of refined taste, part of the quiet luxury mindset where knowledge and subtlety signal discernment.
Coffee has returned not merely as a beverage, but as a space for ritual, appreciation, and conversation.
Conclusion
Next time you wait for your barista to finish that slow, deliberate pour, remember that once upon a time this experience used to be reserved for emperors and social elites.
Now it’s for anyone with ₹400 and a caffeine addiction.
The same drink that kept Mughal poets awake through the night now fuels your morning meetings.
History isn’t repeating itself; it’s just found better beans.
References
Edward Terry, A Voyage to East India (1622) – quoted via Middle East Eye, 2024.
Daily Coffee News (2018): “Coffee in India – A Complex History and Promising Future.”
Coffee Board of India / Indian Coffee House Co-operative Societies Records.
Covoya Coffee Blog: “India Coffee History.”
IMARC Group (2024): India Coffee Shops Market 2024–2033.
Grand View Research (2023): India Coffee Retail Chains Market 2023–2030.
Reuters / Financial Times / Economic Times (2024–2025): Starbucks and Third Wave expansion reports.