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Abstract
Historical fiction is a recherché thing that is arduous to research, tough to put into fiction and difficult to make it gripping. Amitav Ghosh has prospered in doing all these in his novel the 'Sea of Poppies'. The novel set in the first half of 19th century opium wars, it portraits the British India Company’s imperial designs. The intention of the British India Company was not restricted to trade and commerce instead, it expands the Empire’s monopoly on the economic policies and begin themselves as the sovereign. This research paper examines the sufferings of protagonist Deeti and aims to trace the cultivation of opium and opium trade of 18th century, from its roots in India to its existing destination of China along the way inquiring the migratory history of the people across the Indian Ocean.