During the Mughal era, many strategic games like Chess, Chaturanga, Chaupar, Chausar and Pachisi were prevalent.
World Chess Day is celebrated every year on 20 July all over the world. It is celebrated to commemorate the establishment of the International Chess Federation. The federation was established 102 years ago on 20 July 1924. This day was celebrated for the first time in the year 1966. UNESCO proposed to celebrate this day for the first time. In the year 2019, the United Nations General Assembly also unanimously gave official recognition to this day. Come, on the pretext of this special day, let us also know in what form today’s popular game Chess was prevalent during the Mughal period? Was chess played in those days?
During the Mughal era, only the chessboard like today’s modern chess was not popular. At that time many strategic games like Chess, Chaturanga, Chaupar, Chausar and Pachisi were prevalent. Among them, chess was a game of intelligence and fighting skills. Chaupar and Pachisi were games of entertainment, competition and sometimes even betting. In the Mughal courts, sports were not just a means of passing time. They were a part of royal life, military thinking, social interaction and prestige.
Chess’s roots in India and Persia
Chess has an old connection with the Indian game Chaturanga. Chaturanga means four parts of the army. These included foot soldiers, horses, elephants and chariots. This structure was like the old Indian war parties. With time this game moved towards the West. In Persia it came to be called Shatranj or Shatranj. It became popular in the Arabic world also. Then it reached Europe. The Mughal rulers came from Central Asian and Timurid traditions. He had a deep connection with Persian language, literature, art and court culture. Therefore chess was not an unfamiliar game to him. After coming to India, he also got to know the old sports traditions of this place. Thus, a combination of Indian and Persian sports cultures is visible during the Mughal period.
There was a tradition of playing chess during the Mughal era.
Chess and Chaupar were not the same game
In the discussion of history, chess and Chaupar are often considered the same. This is not correct. Chess was a strategic game of two players. It had pieces like king, minister or vizier, horse, elephant and foot. Its goal was to surround the opponent’s king. Chaupar or Chausar was a different game. It was played on a cross-like board made of cloth or on the ground. Pieces, dice or cowries were used in this. Two or four players could participate in it.
There is relatively more written evidence of the Mughal period about Chaupar and Pachisi. Therefore, it would be a better history to say that there was a strong tradition of strategic board games in the Mughal courts. Chess was a part of that. Chaupar and Pachisi were also very important.
Mughal emperor Akbar. Photo: Getty Images
Special place of sports during Akbar’s era
The rule of Mughal emperor Akbar lasted from 1556 to 1605. The court was very active at that time. Art, music, hunting, wrestling, horse riding and sports were given importance. Akbar’s court historian Abul Fazal has given information about the royal system, rituals and entertainment in Ain-e-Akbari. Games like Chaupar are mentioned in this book. The sporting prowess of Rajputs is also discussed.
The example of the huge Pachisi board in Fatehpur Sikri during the time of Akbar is famous. A big size playground was built here. According to tradition, humans were made to stand like pieces. This scene shows that the royal class could turn the Games into grand events. This was not just personal entertainment. The power, grandeur and discipline of the court were also visible in it.
Did Akbar play chess?
Akbar is said to be very fond of chess or Chaupar. The evidence of Chaupar and Pachisi is more clear. Not every claim regarding a modern chess-like game has the same level of direct evidence. Therefore, the correct thing is that in the era of Akbar, the tradition of chess existed and strategic games were respected in the court. But, the daily chess-playing of a particular king should not be considered a definite fact without solid sources.
In history, Chaupar and chess are considered one and the same, but they are different.
Role of sports in Mughal society
Sports during the Mughal period had a different place in the society. Rich people used to play in their homes, gardens, palaces and courts. Soldiers and officers were also interested in games involving intelligence and planning. Chess was associated with the idea of war. It was important to protect the king, understand the movement of the pieces and surround the opponent. For this reason this game attracted people from the world of governance and military. However, it would not be correct to call chess as direct military training. This was not formal training of the army. Nevertheless, strategy, patience and estimation were practiced in the game, hence it was considered a game of intelligence.
Women and sports in the royal family
There were many means of entertainment in the Mughal royal family. These included music, poetry, gardening, hunting and sports. Sports also existed in the world of royal women. Babar’s daughter Gulbadan Begum wrote Humayunnama. It provides useful information about the life, travels and customs of the royal family. Some incidents show that the culture of games and gambling was not at all different from royal life.
Persian influence in chess
The administrative and cultural language of Mughal rule remained Persian for a long time. Persian influence on literature, painting and court etiquette was clear. Persian-Arabic influence is also visible on the terminology of chess. Shah means king. In the interpretation related to defeat, there is a feeling of defeat or helpless condition of the king. The modern Hindi word Shah-Maat reminds of this cultural journey. The journey from India’s Chaturanga to Persia’s chess and then to world chess is a story of contact between many civilizations. The Mughal period was an important Indian stop in this long journey.
painting and sports culture
Many scenes of court, garden, hunting, music and personal life are found in Mughal painting. These pictures show that entertainment played a big role in royal life. Not every picture can be considered as direct historical evidence. Nevertheless, pictures and written sources together give an indication of the lifestyle of that time. The popularity of sports was also part of this broader cultural environment. A game like chess required silence, concentration and thought. It suited the intense debates, political relations and intellectual culture of the court.
There was a tradition of playing chess during the Mughal era. It had its basis in both the Chaturanga tradition of India and the chess culture of Persia. But the strongest evidence from history is found for the popularity of Chaupar, Chausar and Pachisi during the Mughal period. The mention of the big Pachisi-board and royal sporting events during the time of Akbar is especially important. Therefore, the Mughal period cannot be called a time away from sports. It was a time of strategy, entertainment, gambling, royal display and cultural interaction. Chess was an intelligent and prestigious part of that wider sporting world.
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