Short answer - The modern tobacco water pipe (hookah/shisha/ghalyan) took shape in South Asia in the late 1500s, soon spread to Safavid Persia and the Ottoman Empire, and evolved into the familiar glass-based “shisha” by the 19th century.

Key points - Names: - Hookah/huqqa: South Asia (Urdu/Hindustani; “casket/container”). - Ghalyān/qalyān/ghalyoon (also spelled ghelyan): Persian/Iranian. - Shisha/sheesha: Arabic for “glass,” referring to the glass base common in Egypt. - Nargile/nargila: Turkish/Levant; from Persian nargil “coconut,” recalling early coconut-shell bowls.

• Origins and spread:
• Late 16th century (Mughal India): After tobacco arrives from the Americas, a water-pipe form appears at court. Mughal sources credit the physician Hakim Abul Fath (under Emperor Akbar) with devising a coconut-shell water pipe to “purify” smoke in water.
• 17th century (Safavid Persia): The device—called ghalyān/qalyān—spreads west; design shifts to sturdier bowls, long flexible hoses, and ornate bodies.
• 17th–18th centuries (Ottoman Empire): Becomes integral to coffeehouse culture as nargile; craftsmanship flourishes (brass, wood, leather hoses).

• 19th century (Egypt): Widespread use of glass bases gives rise to the term shisha; sweetened/flavored tobacco (mu‘assel) becomes standard.

• Design evolution:

• Early forms likely used coconut shells or gourds.
• Transition to clay/metal bowls, water-filled bases (later glass), and charcoal-heated tobacco.

• Modern setups use mu‘assel (molasses + tobacco + flavorings), quick-light coals, and washable hoses.

• Debates/nuance:

• Some Persian-origin claims exist, and archaeologists have found earlier African water pipes (pre-tobacco, used for other herbs). But the specific tradition of tobacco hookah with its courtly, coffeehouse, and later Egyptian glass-based forms crystallized between Mughal India, Safavid Iran, and the Ottoman world from the late 16th to 19th centuries.

If you want, I can map names, styles, and customs by region (India/Iran/Turkey/Levant/Egypt) or give a brief timeline with images/sources.

The hookah (also known as sheesha, ghalyan, nargile, or water pipe) originated in India in the 16th century, most likely in the regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat near the Pakistani border[4][7][9]. Its invention is widely attributed to Hakim Aboul Futteh Ghilani, a Persian physician in the Mughal emperor Akbar's court, who designed it to "purify" tobacco smoke by passing it through water[3][4][5][8].

Key Points on Origin and Early History

• Origins in India: Early hookahs were constructed from coconuts and bamboo. The use of glass bases (from the Persian shisheh) began after glass became more widely available due to British imports[2][4][6][7].
• Etymology:
• The term "hookah" derives from the Arabic word haqqa ("pot, jar, cavity, hollow"), though other sources say the term comes from Persian or North Indian languages[1][6].
• "Shisha" comes from the Persian word shisheh, meaning "glass"[1][2].
• In Persia (Iran), the device is called ghalyan or ghelyoon; in Turkey, nargile; in the Arab world, shisha or argila[1][2][8].
• Spread: After its initial development, the hookah spread to Persia, the Middle East, and the Ottoman Empire, where it became a social symbol and integrated deeply into cultural traditions[2][4][7][9].

Academic and Historical Perspectives

• There is some evidence of earlier use of water pipes in Persia, as reflected in Persian poetry from the 16th century, but the specific device known as the hookah as used for tobacco emerged only after tobacco was introduced to South Asia by the Portuguese in the late 16th century[3][5][8].
• The primary inventor accepted in most accounts is Hakim Aboul Futteh Ghilani, who adapted and popularized the device for tobacco smoking in the Mughal court, a function which quickly made it a status symbol among Indian nobility[3][4][5].

Evolution

• The original hookahs were simple, made primarily with coconut shells and bamboo. As the device spread to new cultures, it was adapted with glass bases, metal components, and additional elaborations, eventually becoming widespread in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Ottoman Empire[4][7].
• Flavored tobacco blends (like muʽassel) were not developed until much later, in Egypt during the early 20th century[8].

Summary Table: Terminology and Regional Usage

The consensus among modern sources is that the hookah was invented in India in the 16th century, then spread to Iran/Persia and the rest of the Middle East, where it further evolved in form and cultural significance[2][3][4][5][6][7][9].