In this, the first Indian tradition referred to the time of
Alexander the Great, it is related in the Shahnama that a very
powerful King of India named Kaid, satiated with war, and having
no enemies without, or rebellious subjects within his kingdom,
thus addressed his minister Sassa.
"Day and night my mind is harassed with the thoughts of war
and strife; when in the hours of the night sleep overpowers me, I
dream of nothing but battlefields and conquests, and in the
morning, when I awake, I still think over my imaginary combats and
victories. Now you are well aware that I have no longer one
single enemy or rebel in my whole dominions with whom to
contend. It is utterly repugnant to justice and common sense,
to go to war without any cause. If I were to do so God would be
displeased with me, and a severe retribution for my evil deeds
would soon overtake me, even in this world, for is it not said
that a kingdom governed by falsehood and oppression is void of
stability, and it will soon pass away. Tell me, then, O Sassa,
for great is thy wisdom, what am I to do in order to regain my
peace of mind, and obtain relief from my present state of
weariness and disgust?"
Sassa hereupon bethought himself of a rare game, the invention
of an ancient Grecian sage, by name Hermes, which had recently
been introduced into India by Alexander and his soldiers, who
used to play it at times of leisure. Sassa procured and modified
the game and board from 56 pieces and 112 squares to 32 pieces
and 64 squares, and explained it to the king, who practised it with
both satisfaction and delight, Sassa's stipulation of a reward of
a grain of corn doubled again and again 64 times, which was at
first deemed ridiculous, was found to amount to
18,446,744,073,709,551,615 rating the barley corn at two
shillings the bushel, the value required from the Indian king by
the philosopher was 3,385,966,239,667 pounds and 12s an
unexpected and amazing sum.
The second version is of another highly ambitious and successful
king of Hind, name Fur, who died and left a young son,
inexperienced in war and in danger of losing his possessions. The
wise men consulted together, and Sassa, the son of Dahir,
brought the chess board and men to the Prince, saying, "Here
you have an exact image of war, which is conducted on principles
similar to those which regulate this wonderful game. The same
caution in attack and coolness in defence which you have to
exercise here, you will have to put in practice in the battlefield.
The Prince with eagerness availed himself of Sassa's instructions
until he made himself fully acquainted with the principles of the
game. He then assembled his army and went forth in full
confidence to encounter his enemies, whom he defeated at all
points. He then returned home in triumph, and ever after he
cherished his love for the game of chess to a knowledge of
which he considered himself indebted for the preservation of
his honour, his kingdom and his life."
The third account relates--"After Belugi, reigned Giumhur
who had this royal seat in the City of Sandali, in the province of
Cachemir. When he died, his brother, called May, was chosen
King, who had two sons, Ghav and Talachand. Upon the death of
May, their mother Paritchera, that is, endued with angelic beauty,
reigned. These two young Princes being grown to maturity,
desire to know from their mother who of them was to be her
successor. The mother concealing her mind, gave them both hopes
separately. In the meantime, the brothers quarrel, and raise
armies, and the mother endeavored to reconcile them by her
good advice, but in vain, for soon after they broke out into open
war. After various battles, it fell out that Talachand was slain.
Upon this, the mother goes to her surviving son, and complains to
him of these things.
"Then the wise men of the kingdom set about to compose the
game Shatranji, representing the battle of Ghav and Talachand.
"The sorrowful mother contemplates this game, and by daily
playing it, brings into her mind the battle and death of her son
Talachand. She could not forbear to torment herself with the
remembrance of his death, and every day for a long time, to give
herself up to the meditation thereof."--SHAHNAMA.
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>From the early ages of the Christian era back to the times of
Homer, Herodotus, Sophocles, Plato, and Aristotle, traditions,
concerning the origin of this wonderful game have come down to
us of a very various and conflicting character; the Arabian and
Persian historians from the commentators on the Koran interdict
against lots and images to the days of the Persian Shahnama of
Firdausi and the Asiatic Society's famous manuscript, have spoken
of the origin and history of chess, Aben Ezra, the famous Rabbi,
contemporary of Maimonides, Jacobus de Cessolus the Monk of
Picardy, Ruy Lopez the Spanish priest, Damiano the Portuguese
Apothecary, Gustavus Selenus (the Duke of Luneburg), Dr. Salvic,
Carrera, and the writers of the Italian school, have all contributed
to the remarkably delusive and often mythical theories propounded
in regard to it. In our own Country we have them from Chaucer,
Lydgate, Caxton, Barbiere and the Encyclopaediasts, and Pope
writing just before knowledge of the Sanskrit became imparted
among the learned, and ere the classical Sir William Jones had
began to enlighten us, thought probably he had set the matter at
rest by declaring that the invention of chess, (which we had and
could enjoy without caring to know from whence it came) and
which was an imperishable monument of the wisdom of its
unknown founder, involved a problem which never would be solved.
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