9th.-Hyder Ali's Chessboard.

Another variety of the Great Chess is mentioned in the journal of one of the officers belonging to Colonel Baillie's unfortunate detachment,' which was surrounded and captured by the famous Hyder 'Ali, of Mysore, in the year 1780. One of the prisoners kept a journal, &c., during the period of their captivity, which was published in London, 1789, in 8vo., and entitled "Memoirs of the War in Asia from 1780 to 1784." Under May 3rd, 1780, is the following entry. "Visited by a black commandant who played a game at Chess with Captain Lucas: this game was brought from India into Europe. In India there are three kinds of Chess: two of these are much more complex than the game of that name played in Europe. In one of them, the men, or figures, amount to sixty; and the movements are proportionably various. It very seldom happens that an European is fit to contend with a native of India, whether Persce, Gentoo, or Mussulman. Captain Lucas was highly honoured by the black men on account of his skill in Chess."

1 This detachment consisted of 3,000 men, including only two companies of European infantry, and sixty European artillerymen, with ten field-pieces. On their march to join the main body, which was then at some distance, under General Sir Hector Monro, they were surrounded by the Mysorean army, consisting of 30,000 cavalry and 8,000 infantry, disciplined by French officers. After a severe action, that lasted for several hours, Colonel Baillie's native troops had either fallen or fled; and his whole force was reduced to less than 400 Englishmen, of whom many were wounded. This gallant band, however, managed to occupy the ridge of a hill, where they formed in square. Their powder and shot being all expended, the officers fought with their swords, and the men with the bayonet. At last their case became quite hopeless, and they surrendered. The termination of the affair, as usual with Asiatics, when with ten or twenty to one in their favour they happen to gain a short-lived triumph, was a cowardly butchery of one-half of the English, and a horrible captivity to the rest. Of 86 officers, 36 were killed and 34 were wounded and mangled. Had it not been for the humane interposition of the French officers, who compelled the Great Savage to show a little civility, not a man among the English

would have been allowed to live.

It is evident that the journalist was no Chessplayer, otherwise he would have given us a more satisfactory description of this monster game. We may infer, however, from the number of pieces engaged-thirty on each side-that it was a mere modification of Timur's game, having an additional piece and Pawn on each side. This would require a board of 12 squares by 10, so as to include the new pieces and Pawns. It is very probable that this game was concocted by Hyder's courtiers to gratify that barbarian's vanity. Having heard read to him (for he could not read himself), that Timur the "victorious in war" was partial to the Great Chess, it is most likely that he commanded his men of skill to furnish him with a still greater Chess. I never heard of this game in India or elsewhere except in the above extract.

CHAPTER XII.

Introduction of Chess into Arabia from Persia.—Art of Blindfold Play-Chess at the Court of the 'Abbaside Caliphs.-Progress of the Game towards the West.

HAVING now established, as we believe, beyond the possibility of cavil or doubt, that Chess was invented in India, and thence introduced into Persia in the reign of Naushirawan, about the middle of the sixth century, we proceed to trace its further progress to the westward. We cannot determine the precise year, or even decennium, when the Indian embassy arrived at the Persian Court; for the reign of Naushirawan extended over the lengthened period of forty-eight years-that is, from A.D. 531 to A.D. 579. We shall, therefore, assume the middle of that century as our starting-point, which cannot be very far from the mark; and, this being granted, we have excellent authority for saying that in the course of a little more than half a century afterwards the game became known to the Arabs, and (as we shall show in our next chapter) to the Byzantines. Early in the seventh century we find that it had reached the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina. The prophet Muhammad apparently alludes to it in the fifth chapter of the Kurān ; but, being himself ignorant of its precise nature, he gives it a place among sundry abominations to be carefully

'all

eschewed by "the Faithful" in general. in general. His words are, "O true believers, surely wine, and lots, and images, and divining arrows, are an abomination of the works of Satan, therefore avoid ye them, that ye may prosper. Now, all the eminent Musalman commentators on this passage say, that by "wine and lots are meant " intoxicating drinks, and all games of chance. By the term images they say that the Prophet alluded to "the game of Chess," and that the interdict applied not to the game itself, in which chance had no part, but to the little carved figures or images of men, horses, elephants, &c., then used on the board as imported from India and Persia, all of which, in the opinion of the prophet, savoured strongly of idolatry.

The Muhammadan casuists and expounders of the sacred text, however, with a degree of sense and enlightenment much redounding to their credit, have managed to rescue the game of Chess from the very degrading position assigned to it by the Prophet, as one of the "abomina

1 Kuran, chapter v. page 135. We are told that this chapter was revealed at Medina, which, in our plain English, signifies that it was composed about, or soon after, A.D. 622, when the Prophet performed his celebrated Hijra, or flight, Friday, July 16, of that year. In the second chapter, wine and gaming are in like manner denounced, but nothing is there said of the images. The words are, "They will ask thee concerning wine and lots (i.e., games of chance); answer them-In both there is great sin, and also something of use unto man; but their sinfulness is greater than their use." Sale adds in a note, "From these words some suppose that only drinking to excess, and too frequent gaming, are prohibited; and the moderate use of wine they also think is allowed from the following words in the sixteenth chapter:-' And from the fruits of palm trees and grapes ye obtain inebriating drinks, and also good nourishment. Verily much may be here said on both sides; but generally speaking, most Musalmāns, especially Persians and Turks, will drink wine when they get it as heartily as any Christian. It merely depends on the example set by the reigning monarch for the time being whether the "true believer may "tak his drap drink” in public or in private. If the “Asylum of the Universe” be a temperance man, which he seldom is, of course the subjects will pretend to follow the example, and confine themselves to secret potations. The wealthy among them, however, may at all times, easily procure a dispensation from the Kāzī, should the state of their health require it.

tions of Satan." At the same time the more rigid and orthodox among the "true believers," such as the sect of the Sunnis, including the majority of the Arab tribes, the Turks, the people of Bukhāra, and the Afghāns of the present day, in order to avoid all appearance of scandal, play with plain blocks of ivory or wood variously cut, but bearing no resemblance to any living creature, so that the term images may not apply. The Shi,as, on the other hand, including the Persians, and the Musalmāns of India, commonly called Moguls, who are much more liberal in their ideas, and to the full as free from idolatry as their more scrupulous co-religionists, still make use of the old-fashioned and tastefully carved figures, such as they existed at the courts of Kanoj and Susa in the sixth century. The following passage from the preliminary discourse of Sale's Kuran contains all that need be said on this subject. Sale, we may remark, was a most sound and accurate oriental scholar, and everything he wrote was founded on first-rate authorities. The edition of his Translation, which I here use, is that of Tegg, 2 vols. 8vo., 1825; a very beautiful and accurately printed work. In the Preliminary Discourse,

sect. 5, page 171, the author says:

"Under the name of lots the commentators agree that all other games whatever, which are subject to hazard or chance, are comprehended and forbidden, as dice, cards, tables, &c. And they are reckoned so ill in themselves, that the testimony of him who plays at them is, by the more rigid, judged to be of no validity in a court of justice. Chess is almost the only game which the Muhammadan doctors allow to be lawful (though it has been a doubt with some)', because it depends wholly on skill and management, and not at all on chance; but

1 V. Hyde, de Ludis, Oriental in Proleg. ad Shahiludium.