2 of 9

Chess – Precursor invented in 2200 BCE

Dice found from Rakhigarhi, Haryana, India (~2500 BCE). Inventor humbled his arrogant king by asking him twice the number of grain for each square than the preceding square as a reward.
Chess pieces and chess board

(from Lothal in W India, ~2200 BCE) 🡪

Chess was called Shataranj in India. This word which is still used in modern Indian languages is a corruption of the word Chaturanga. This is so as the game of Chaturanga was in ancient times played on a piece of cloth, in place of the modern chess board. In literature, its first mention is in Bana Bhatta’s Kadambari (7th century CE).

The Encyclopedia Britannica concludes that "Other Persian and Arabian writers state that Shatranj came into Persia from India and there appears to be a consensus of opinion that may be considered to settle the question. Thus we have the game passing from the Hindus to the Persians and then to the Arabians, after the capture V of Persia by the Caliphs in the 7th century, and from them, directly or indirectly, to various parts of Europe, at a time which cannot be definitely fixed, but either in or before the 10th century. That the source of the European game is Arabic is clear enough, nor merely from the words "check" and "mate", which are evidently from Shah mat ("the king is dead"), but also from the names of some of the pieces".

Thus it was from India that the ancient Persians are said to have learnt this game, and from them it was transmitted to the Greco Roman world. The evidence of the Persians having borrowed this game from India is seen in the name the Persians gave to it. The Persian word for chess is Chatrang, which was later changed by the Arabs to Shatranj. As said in Encyclopedia Britannica, this word is obviously a corruption of the Sanskrit original Chaturanga.

3 of 9

Spread of Chess from India

4 of 9

Board Games- Dice, Snakes and Ladders, Ludo/Parcheesi

Gambling Dice – from Rakhigarhi in India from 2500 BCE

Snakes and Ladders: Invented by Gyaneshvar in 13^th cent. to teach children - Virtues take up the ladder, evils are snakes punishing you. Last square was ‘Moksha’ (Salvation)

5 of 9

Playing Cards – Western India

Playing Cards (Kridapatram or Ganjifa): In Hindu courts we have packs with 8, 9 and 10 sets apart from the usual 12. The numbers were derived from the eight cardinal directions (Ashtadikpala), for the pack with 8 set, from the nine planets (Navagraha) for the one with 9 sets and from ten Divine incarnations (Dashavatara) of Vishnu for the pack with 10 sets. Themes from the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata are painted on these cards.
The cards were circular.
Original design still manufactured at Pend on India’s West coast.

6 of 9

Original Martial Art from India - Kalaripayattu

Kalaripayattu from Kerala in South India was transmitted to China by a sage named Boddhidharma in the 5th century The Chinese called him Po-ti-tama He taught this art in a temple. In India, it was practiced by both men and women for self-defence. Unniyarcha (17^th cent.) was a heroine who led bands of women to ward off kidnappers and robbers using this art.
This temple is today known as the Shaolin temple Thus Judo, Karate, Kung Fu and other similar marshal arts which are today identified with the far-east actually originated from India.
Kalaripayattu is still practiced by some Hindu communities in Kerala.

Martial arts were promoted by Buddhist monks as a means of self-defense because Buddhism eschewed violence.

This art from seems to have travelled from India to the countries of the far-east along with the Buddhist religion. Buddhists monks who traveled barefoot and unarmed to spread the gospel of Buddha seem to have accepted this art with alterations suitable to the philosophy of nonviolence. Such a technique of defence would have been necessary for them as they traveled individually or in small groups in foreign lands during which they were exposed to dangers from bandits and fanatics from other religions. Buddhist monks seem to have tempered the originally violent character of this art. The violent and exterminative nature of Kalaripayate is evient from the daggers and knives that are used. Unlike Kalaripayat, Judo and Karate do not allow the use of lethal weapons.

7 of 9

Archery and Other Military Sports

Texts about Archery and other military techniques (‘Dhanurveda’) go back to early or pre Common Era. Numerous heroes of Hindu epics were exemplary marksmen.
The Kikkuli Manual on Chariotry, dated 1300 BCE and from Northern Syria, uses Technical terms in the Sanskrit language used in Indian sacred literature.
Five ancient horse rearing and two elephant medical texts dating over a thousand years survive today.
Indian swords and their steel were highly prized for their sharp edge and strength.

8 of 9

Acrobatics and Exercise Drills

Malkhamb – Acrobatics on a pole. Sculptures depicting it from around 500 CE.
Lezim – A military drill popularized by saint Samarth Ramdas (17^th cent.) to train common Indians for overthrowing oppressive Moghul rule.
Wrestling – Ancient manual in Sanskrit. Divine incarnations like Krishna were adept Wrestlers and used it to punish evil and powerful kings.

9 of 9

Hunting, Racing and other Acrobatics

Boat Racing on festivals like Onam
Bullock Cart Racing in village festivals
Jallikattu – a milder version of catching running bulls with very little danger to animals.
Polo – Using horses and sticks to drive balls.
Kho Kho and Kabaddi – Agility and physical strength.
Hunting – ‘Royal’ sport for hunting tigers, lions, Cheetahs etc. for sport and other animals for food. Ancient manuals exist, but most Indian traditions condemn it due to cruelty involved.