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Lot Essay
This manuscript bears a dedication to Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (r.1799-1868), who was the twenty-second Maharaja of the kingdom of Mysore in South India. He was a scholar and renowned patron of the arts, a prolific writer and had a particular interest in board games. He was known for his contribution to the game of caduranga. A comparable treatise on caduranga, also written in Telegu and composed by the Maharaja himself in 1847-48, sold in these Rooms, 12 June 2014, lot 151.
Caduranga is the earliest form of chess which originated in India as a war game in the 7th century. The first literary references to the game come from the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. Its Sanskrit name, chaturanga, refers to the four units or divisions of ancient armies comprising elephants, horses, chariots and soldiers on foot. From India the game went to Persia, where it acquired the more traditional form of chess as it is now played, and the more recognizable version of its name, shatranj.
Caduranga is the earliest form of chess which originated in India as a war game in the 7th century. The first literary references to the game come from the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. Its Sanskrit name, chaturanga, refers to the four units or divisions of ancient armies comprising elephants, horses, chariots and soldiers on foot. From India the game went to Persia, where it acquired the more traditional form of chess as it is now played, and the more recognizable version of its name, shatranj.