There are many tales and legends as to how chai came to be and its earliest forms did not contain tea at all, just herbs and spices. Tea would be added later. An early legend is that a monk traveling to China over 5000 years ago noticed the locals chewing on the leaves of a bush and discovered its energetic properties. Another legend has it that it was a king in ancient India (most likely Harshavardhana) who developed chai to remain alert during long hours in court. Some believe that it was Emperor Ashoka who introduced chai into his court ceremonies. The commonality through these legends is that early chai was seen as a cleansing, stimulating Ayurvedic beverage.
Since tea was introduced by the English, who not only developed and taught Indians to process tea and later forced this tea onto Indians during the Great Depression in the 1900s, when the exports dropped. Free samples at public places and hammer advertising was used to get Indians hooked to this beverage. Whilst the English drank and exported the whole leaves the later lower grades were kept for Indians to maximise profits. Due to its addictive and refreshing quality Indians adopted their way of drinking it with milk and sugar. Boggling many tea protagonists!! Over time, Indians moved away from steeping tea in hot water, preferring to boil it in water and milk and due to its increased strength, spices and greater amounts of sugar were added and Masala Chai was born. While English tea was evolving into Indian chai, the growing movement for independence was taking hold in 1940s India. Tea, once view as an imperialist drink became a symbol of Indian unity and freedom. Chai was now an Indian drink.