Dear colleagues,

 

We are excited to announce a talk by James McHugh titled "Surā's Many Cups: A Survey of Humans Using Plants to Make Mind-Altering Substances in Pre-modern South Asia." This is the fifth lecture of the series “More-than-Human South Asia: Ecologies, Knowledge, Bodies, and Senses,” organized by the Ghent Centre for South Asian Studies. 

 

The lecture will take place entirely online at 4:00 pm CET this Wednesday, April 29th, 2026.

 

More information can be found below and in the attached document, and you can register here for online participation.


Hope to see you there! 

Title: Surā's Many Cups: A Survey of Humans using Plants to make Mind-Altering Substances in Pre-modern South Asia


Speaker: James McHugh, University of Southern California


Abstract: Studies of religion and history in South Asia sometimes characterize the region as historically dominated by mind altering substances other than alcohol, such as soma, datura, or cannabis. This paper challenges and even overturns this view of drug history in ancient and early medieval South Asia. After a brief consideration of soma, the paper argues for most of the ancient period the only mind-altering substance anyone consumed was alcohol, with betel appearing roughly about 300 CE. And cannabis is only prominent at least, in our sources) from about 1000 CE. Datura has been suggested as a powerful entheogen taken in this middle period, a "bridge drug" between ancient soma and medieval cannabis. Yet on closer examination, our sources from this period typically present datura as a plant used to stupefy people for nefarious means. Following a presentation on these and some other substances, the paper presents some recipes for alcoholic drinks, considering how fermentation was understood. Throughout, the paper also reflects on the considerable methodological difficulties involved in relying largely on surviving ancient texts to study plants and processed products, such as beers.