Pachisi
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schae...@bluewin.ch
Nov 4, 2023, 1:09:28 PM11/4/23
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Hi friends,
I do not know if anybody of those who are interested in the history and diffusion of Pachisi has ever seen the following description, I came across recently.
The description was published by Julius Heinrich Petermann, Reisen im Orient, vol. 2, Leipzig 1861, p. 308. Here, Petermann describes games he has seen people play in Bagdad.
The publication is online for example here:
but also on Google books.
He writes:
„Die Erwachsenen spielen eine Art Puff,Nard’ genannt, oder Kartenspiele, von denen sie zwei verschiedene Arten kennen; ferner Schach, und endlich noch ein persisches Spiel, welches Bedschîs heisst. Diess wird von 2 Personen gespielt, und zwar auf einem Tuche, welches die Form eines Kreuzes hat. Jeder der Flügel hat 24 verschiedenfarbige Felder, unter denen 3 weisse sind. In der Mitte ist ein grösseres Quadrat. Die Spielenden setzen sich einander gegenüber, an einer Ecke des Tuches. Jeder von Beiden hat 4 Steine, gleich den Bauern unsers Schachs. Sie würfeln dazu mit 7 Otternköpfchen, deren Rücken abgeschnitten ist. Ist bei dem Würfeln 1 davon auf die geschlossene Seite gefallen, so gilt es 10—2 gelten 2-3 gelten 3— 4 gelten 4-5 gelten 25-6 gelten 50— und 7 gelten 14; sind alle auf die hohle Seite gefallen, so gilt diess ebenfalls 14. Anfangs würfeln sie so lange, bis Einer 1, 5, 6 oder 7 auf die hohle Seite geworfen hat, ohne zu setzen. Dieser beginnt das Spiel, und fängt an seiner Ecke an, je nach dem, was er geworfen hat, einen Stein zu setzen. Jeder von Beiden muss mit seinen Steinen alle 96 Quadrate durchgehen, bis sie in die Mitte kommen. Wer zuerst alle seine 4 Steine in der Mitte hat, hat das Spiel gewonnen. Wenn Einer 1, 5, 6 oder 7 auf die hohle Seite geworfen, so hat er das Recht noch einmal zu werfen, und Beides wird dann zusammengerechnet. Wer 1 oder 5 auf die hohle Seite geworfen, kann ausserdem noch einen andern Stein nehmen, oder mit dem ersten noch ein Quadrat weiter rücken; wer alle 7 auf die hohle Seite geworfen, kann seinen Stein noch um 2 Quadrate weiter rücken, oder einen andern Stein 2 Felder versetzen. Man sucht auch, da die Spieler mit ihren Steinen einander entgegenkommen, sich gegenseitig zu schlagen, und seine Steine auf die Felder zu bringen, wo Steine des Gegners stehen, da dann der geschlagene Stein wieder von vorn an gesetzt werden muss. Nur, wenn ein Stein auf einem weissen Felde ist, kann er nicht geschlagen werden.“
Translation:
"The adults play a kind of Puff [German backgammon] called “Nard“, or card games, of which they know two different kinds; also chess, and finally a Persian game called Bedschîs. This is played by two people on a cloth in the shape of a cross. Each of the branches has 24 squares of different colours, 3 of which are white. In the centre is a larger square. The players sit opposite each other at one corner of the cloth. Each of them has 4 pieces, like the pawns in our chess set. They roll the dice with 7 cowrie shells, the backs of which are cut off. If 1 of them falls on the closed side of the cowrie, it counts 10, 2 count 2, 3 count 3, 4 count 4, 5 count 25, 6 count 50, and 7 count 14; if all of them fall on the hollow side, then this also counts as 14. At the beginning, they continue to roll the dice until one of them has thrown 1, 5, 6 or 7 on the hollow side without betting. This player starts the game and begins on his corner to place a pawn, depending on what he has thrown. Each of the two players must go through all 96 squares with their pawns until they reach the centre. The first player to have all 4 stones in the centre wins the game. If a player throws 1, 5, 6 or 7 cowries on the hollow side, he has the right to throw again, and both results are then added together. If you throw 1 or 5 on the hollow side, you can also move another pawn or move the first one one square further; if you throw all 7 on the hollow side, you can move your pawn 2 squares further or move another pawn 2 squares. As the players come towards each other with their pawns, they also try to hit each other with their pawns and move their pawns to the squares where the opponent’s pawns are standing, as the hit pawn must then be placed again from the beginning. Only if a pawn is on a white square it cannot be captured.“
It is obvious that he has seen a variant of Pachisi. Around the middle of the 19th century in Bagdad.
I thought this might be interesting, at least for those who did not know this source.
Cheers
Ulrich
I do not know if anybody of those who are interested in the history and diffusion of Pachisi has ever seen the following description, I came across recently.
The description was published by Julius Heinrich Petermann, Reisen im Orient, vol. 2, Leipzig 1861, p. 308. Here, Petermann describes games he has seen people play in Bagdad.
The publication is online for example here:
but also on Google books.
He writes:
„Die Erwachsenen spielen eine Art Puff,Nard’ genannt, oder Kartenspiele, von denen sie zwei verschiedene Arten kennen; ferner Schach, und endlich noch ein persisches Spiel, welches Bedschîs heisst. Diess wird von 2 Personen gespielt, und zwar auf einem Tuche, welches die Form eines Kreuzes hat. Jeder der Flügel hat 24 verschiedenfarbige Felder, unter denen 3 weisse sind. In der Mitte ist ein grösseres Quadrat. Die Spielenden setzen sich einander gegenüber, an einer Ecke des Tuches. Jeder von Beiden hat 4 Steine, gleich den Bauern unsers Schachs. Sie würfeln dazu mit 7 Otternköpfchen, deren Rücken abgeschnitten ist. Ist bei dem Würfeln 1 davon auf die geschlossene Seite gefallen, so gilt es 10—2 gelten 2-3 gelten 3— 4 gelten 4-5 gelten 25-6 gelten 50— und 7 gelten 14; sind alle auf die hohle Seite gefallen, so gilt diess ebenfalls 14. Anfangs würfeln sie so lange, bis Einer 1, 5, 6 oder 7 auf die hohle Seite geworfen hat, ohne zu setzen. Dieser beginnt das Spiel, und fängt an seiner Ecke an, je nach dem, was er geworfen hat, einen Stein zu setzen. Jeder von Beiden muss mit seinen Steinen alle 96 Quadrate durchgehen, bis sie in die Mitte kommen. Wer zuerst alle seine 4 Steine in der Mitte hat, hat das Spiel gewonnen. Wenn Einer 1, 5, 6 oder 7 auf die hohle Seite geworfen, so hat er das Recht noch einmal zu werfen, und Beides wird dann zusammengerechnet. Wer 1 oder 5 auf die hohle Seite geworfen, kann ausserdem noch einen andern Stein nehmen, oder mit dem ersten noch ein Quadrat weiter rücken; wer alle 7 auf die hohle Seite geworfen, kann seinen Stein noch um 2 Quadrate weiter rücken, oder einen andern Stein 2 Felder versetzen. Man sucht auch, da die Spieler mit ihren Steinen einander entgegenkommen, sich gegenseitig zu schlagen, und seine Steine auf die Felder zu bringen, wo Steine des Gegners stehen, da dann der geschlagene Stein wieder von vorn an gesetzt werden muss. Nur, wenn ein Stein auf einem weissen Felde ist, kann er nicht geschlagen werden.“
Translation:
"The adults play a kind of Puff [German backgammon] called “Nard“, or card games, of which they know two different kinds; also chess, and finally a Persian game called Bedschîs. This is played by two people on a cloth in the shape of a cross. Each of the branches has 24 squares of different colours, 3 of which are white. In the centre is a larger square. The players sit opposite each other at one corner of the cloth. Each of them has 4 pieces, like the pawns in our chess set. They roll the dice with 7 cowrie shells, the backs of which are cut off. If 1 of them falls on the closed side of the cowrie, it counts 10, 2 count 2, 3 count 3, 4 count 4, 5 count 25, 6 count 50, and 7 count 14; if all of them fall on the hollow side, then this also counts as 14. At the beginning, they continue to roll the dice until one of them has thrown 1, 5, 6 or 7 on the hollow side without betting. This player starts the game and begins on his corner to place a pawn, depending on what he has thrown. Each of the two players must go through all 96 squares with their pawns until they reach the centre. The first player to have all 4 stones in the centre wins the game. If a player throws 1, 5, 6 or 7 cowries on the hollow side, he has the right to throw again, and both results are then added together. If you throw 1 or 5 on the hollow side, you can also move another pawn or move the first one one square further; if you throw all 7 on the hollow side, you can move your pawn 2 squares further or move another pawn 2 squares. As the players come towards each other with their pawns, they also try to hit each other with their pawns and move their pawns to the squares where the opponent’s pawns are standing, as the hit pawn must then be placed again from the beginning. Only if a pawn is on a white square it cannot be captured.“
It is obvious that he has seen a variant of Pachisi. Around the middle of the 19th century in Bagdad.
I thought this might be interesting, at least for those who did not know this source.
Cheers
Ulrich
Fatih Parlak
Nov 4, 2023, 5:12:40 PM11/4/23
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Thanks, Ulrich, for sharing this very interesting source. I attached an 18th century example of pechich game from Iran now in the collection of Turkish-Islamic Arts Museum in Istanbul. What you Petermann refers to as white squares are decorated with miniature portraits in the example attached.
Best,
Fatih.
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Víktor Bautista i Roca
Nov 4, 2023, 7:42:37 PM11/4/23
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This is a current game of Birjis (برجيس), according to Arabic Wikipedia.¹ It seems the main difference is they play with 6, not 7, cowries. So, as 7 (moves 14) is not possible, 6 moves not 50 but 12. However, 0's moves are not 12 but just 6, and an extra move is just for 1 and 5.
The picture seems to be from Ammam, Jordania, in 2017.
PS. See you at Dau Barcelona in two weeks?
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Salut!
@viktorbir
Alex de Voogt
Nov 4, 2023, 8:56:03 PM11/4/23
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Hi All,
This is the same game as found in Syria, known as Barsis. There is an example with six cowrie shells in the American Museum of Natural History, New York. The route from India to Afghanistan, Iran, to Syria/Jordania makes sense.
Best,
Alex
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Jonathan Truitt
Nov 5, 2023, 11:01:18 AM11/5/23
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Hi All,
This is great to see. I have been trying to track, a bit, the origin of Pachisi. There have been a number of articles that suggest it influenced Patolli from Mesoamerica. I don't have the citations on me at the moment, apologies, but they have generally been debunked as archeological evidence for Patolli goes back 1500 years or so. The games do, however, function very similarly. In patolli beans with pips are thrown and you move around a board similar to Pachisi. Movement is determined by pip-side up or down. Central Mexico was base 20 before the Spaniards got there so the highest movement was 20 (considered a full count or a full movement).
Here is an image of the board from book 8 of the Florentine Codex:
Thank you, Ulrich, for sharing the article and to everyone else for the interesting connections. Figured I would share a slightly adjacent similarity.
Jon
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