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India, land of thousands of
peoples, religions and languages. Naturally, India is the land of
plenty of Chess. Several forms of Chess have been played in India
until very recently and maybe even nowadays. Chaturanga, from Sanskrit
and meaning "four limbs" is the word used for Chess. It
refers to the four members of the Indian army; chariots, elephants,
cavalry and infantry. Besides the more conventional Two-Handed Chaturanga
which is very like the Persian Chatrang, there is in India a Four-handed
game, also called by some authors Chaturaji (meaning "four
kings").
Krishna
playing Chess against Radha (Miniature, XVIIIth century, National
Mueum, New Delhi)
Often, the board presents several cross-cut squares
which have no importance in the play. 8x8 board are known from very
ancient times in India as they were used to play Ashtapada (But
nothing firmly proves that Ashtapada board
had cross-cut cells).
For many, India is the cradle of Chess. This
question remains controversial, however the fascinating diversity
of Chess in India gives this country a very special role.
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Knight |
Elephant
or Rook |
Knight |
Earliest Indian chessman known,
dated end of 16th century. The 2 on left come from the Hindu Kingdom
of Vijayanagar. Conserved at Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The pieces are first named in India by Ratnakara
in his Haravijaya (circa 850). But India is poor for archaeological
findings and it is not before the end of the 16th century that the
oldest piece is known.
The conjonctural name of the pieces in the primitive
game are the following:
Name |
meaning |
equivalent |
Raja |
King |
King |
Mantri |
Minister |
Queen |
Hasty |
Elephant |
Bishop |
Ashwa |
Horse |
Knight |
Ratha |
Chariot |
Rook |
Padah |
Soldier |
Pawn |
The name of the pieces are numerous and change
from one region to an other. For instance, there are the following:
Hindi |
Marathi |
Bengali |
Telegu |
equivalent |
Raja |
Raajaa |
Raja |
Raju |
King |
Vazir1,
Rani2 |
Vjiir1 |
Mantri1,
Rani2 |
Mamtri1 |
Queen |
Umt3 |
Untt3 |
Hati6 |
Shakatu4 |
Bishop |
Ghora5 |
Ghoddaa5 |
Ghora5,
Na'ita |
Gurram5 |
Knight |
Hathi6 |
Httii6 |
Nouka7,
Ruka |
Enugu6 |
Rook |
Pyada,
Sainik |
Pyaade |
Bore,
Pana |
Bamtu |
Pawn |
Shatranj |
Buddhibll |
Daba |
Chadarangam |
Chess |
Name of pieces at several Indian languages(1)
Minister, (2) Queen, (3) Camel, (4) Chariot, (5) Horse, (6) Elephant,
(7) Boat
Here is a more complet table with Indian scripts names, in more
languages. Download
it! (pdf)
If you speak one or more languages from the Indian sub-continent,
your help to correct or complete this table will be much appreciated.
Please contact me.
Bowman
(Pawn?), North India (Rajasthan), 12-14th c. Museum of Indian
Art, Berlin
FIGURATIVE SETS
The royal
animal in India is the elephant. Then, most representations
of the Raja and the Mantri (King and Minister
[our Queen]) are figured in palanquins on the back of
an elephant.
Largest surviving
group of Indian figurative chessmen. India, c. 1610,
carved polychrome ivory. Very similar to the pieces
described by Thomas Hyde (Ludis Orientalibus, 1694)
Hindu style from south
India, circa 1790. (Ivory).The Chariot of
this set is very similar to designs found
in Burma.
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A King, India, XVIII
or XIX century. The set is conserved
at Musée de Chartres, France. (Painted
ivory).
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However, the original Elephant, as
a chessman, was a very weak piece. The consequence was
that its move was not fixed. Murray collected as many
as three different moves for it among the numerous available
plays in historical India:
Then, its position has always been
loose on the chessboard. In some games, the Elephant
and the Chariot exchanged their positions, in other
games they exchanged their move, and finally, it happened
that they exchanged both. Then, in many Indian sets,
the Elephant is sitting at the board corners and is
sliding orthogonally as our Rook.
The Indians were very attracted by
animal representation in chessmen. They had already
Horses and Elephants, then they were inclined to substitute
another animal to the Chariot. Sometimes it was a Rhinoceros,
or a Buffalo, but most commonly it was a Camel (Unt
or Ushthra).
However, the Camel was generally
not moving like the Arabic Chariot which orthogonal
move was left to the Elephant, the most powerful animal.
Rather, the Camel was jumping diagonally like the old
Hasty. Later, under European influence, it got the sliding
diagonal move of our modern Bishop.
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Elephant
from a Mughal Chess set, India, late 17th
to early 18th. Ivory, lacquer. The Metropolitan
Museum Of Art (the upper part of the
elephant's rider is missing) |
Chess
piece (Elephant?, Rook?), Rajasthan, India,
possibly 18thCnetury. Ivory. Brooklyn Museum
Of Art |
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Rajasthan, circa 1840. Historisches
Museum, Dresden. (Ivory).
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A Sikh set, Punjab, circa 1890.
Sikh in green against Chinese in white. (Ivory)
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Set from Rajasthan,
end of 18th (painted ivory) |
Set from Murshidabad, Bengal, representing
a mogul army. (Ivory).
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Set from Berhampur, XIXth century
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Set from Jaipur, XIXth century. (Enameled silver
with jewels)
A
contemporary Indian set, nowadays in sale in India.(Sandal wood).
In Bengal, a Boat was used instead of the
Chariot. It is believed that this is due to a Muslim influence,
the Arabic Rukh being assimilated to the Sanskrit Roka
which means boat or ship. Also, the Muslim shape of the piece was
like a V which reminds the hull of a ship. Bengali texts also name
that piece Nauka (Ship).
Interestingly, a similar process occurred in
the North-West when Chess was transmitted to Russia where the Rook
is still a Ladya, a Boat. More directly, the Indian influence
persisted in South-East Asia, in Siam (Thailand)
and Cambodia.
Bengal, XVII th century. (Ivory).
An ivory Indian set very
similar to the Bengali set above. This one belongs to Ms Chandana
Phukan. Apparently, 3 pieces on the red side (King, 1 Boat, 1 Pawn)
are replacements of missing ones (Many thanks to Chandana Phukan
and Doug Cook for their nice photographs)
ABSTRACT SETS
The Muslim influence is seen in the abstract
sets. The chief difference with Muslim pattern in the shape of the
Rook which evolved into a low piece with a flat top whereas in Arabic
style it was a tall piece with a distinct head.
Indian Muslim set, similar to the
one depicted by Hyde in 1694. (Colored silver tin).
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Another Muslim set, style of Lahore,
Punjab, circa 1870. (Wood and ivory).
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Modern (in 1913) Indian sets,
Muslim style (from Murray)
Mughal period, 17th or 18th c., citrine. From
right to left: Pawn, Rook, King, Vizier, Elephant, Horse
Indian muslim set, ivory,
18th c.
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