Thread by @AmericanMaghreb

After playing chutes and ladders with his kids, a colleague did some searching and discovered that it is has very old roots! Originally used by Hindu and Buddhist mystics, during the Mughal dynasty it apparently moved into Arabic as شترنج العارفين (gnostic's chess)...1/2

The words on the board are "states" of being (aḥwāl) in mystical thought. Some are positive, e.g. ṣabr, "patience," and lead closer to God, while others are negative, e.g. nifāq, "hypocrisy," and lead away from Him, with the final goal being divine "union" (wiṣāl). 2/2

P.S. If anyone is looking for a fun way to seek spiritual enlightenment, this game is a good fit!

P.P.S. For an academic study, see Topsfield, A. (2006). Snakes and Ladders in India: Some Further Discoveries. Artibus Asiae, 66(1), 143-179

jstor.org/stable/25261845