Thread by @Bharathgyan

#InternationalChessDay

ANTIQUITY OF #CHESS

During Mahabharata times, in 3100 BCE, i.e. 5000 years ago, this game was known as Ashta Pada. Ashta is eight and Pada means foot, steps. i.e. a game that was played on a board with 8x8 squares.

One of the earliest physical evidence of chess having been played in India more than 5000 years ago, comes from Dholavira, a Sindhu Sarasvati civilization city then and an archaeological site today. Dholavira is located in the present day state of Gujarat.

Dholavira was one of the major cities of those days, a manufacturing centre and a commercial hub, flourishing between 3500 BCE and 1500 BCE.

The size and layout of Dholavira excavated today suggests that Dholavira had trade and cultural connections with other cities of those times such as Lothal, Khirsara etc. and infact could have exercised political and administrative control over them too.

In this Dholavira was found remains of a chessboard etched in stone, along with other artifacts.

This indicates that

1. chess was played in India over 5000 years ago too
2. chess, must have been a popular pastime among the people for it to have been etched on stone floors.

Lothal, another one of the busy trade harbours on the west coast of India, which flourished around 5000 years ago, between 3500 BCE and 1500 BCE, also shows evidence of chess.

Lothal was an inland port, with welldesigned ingress and egress, from and to the Arabian sea, showing that the people living there were part of a mature civilization.

Ancient chess pieces have been discovered from the archaeological site of Lothal indicating the popularity of
this game over 5000 years ago.

Brand Bharat - Vol 2 - Roots in India

artoflivingshop.com/brand-bharat-v…