<p>As far as I know, there was a mistake in understanding words when Tobacco was introduced 7000 years ago. During Mahabharata War, the soldiers would sleep on Herbal Malapatra/ Thalapatra so that they would be relieved from the pain they had in previous day and get freshness. In Periplus of Erithrin see, Periplus mentions about this. this periplus visited India in first century. The persons who later on read this mistook the body heat as a heat created by fire started burning this tobacco.</p>