"Sea of Poppies" is the first part of the Ibis Trilogy by Amitav Ghosh, set during a time of colonial upheaval. The story unfolds aboard the old slave ship Ibis, which embarks on a turbulent journey across the Indian Ocean. The crew consists of a diverse group of characters, including sailors, stowaways, coolies, and convicts. These varied figures, ranging from a bankrupt Raja to a widowed villager and an evangelical English opium trader, are connected by fate and circumstance. As they leave their old familial ties behind, they develop a new identity as jahaj-bhais, or ship brothers, reflecting the complex social and cultural dynamics of their time.