﻿GAME OF CHESS, &C. 483 



game is derived in modern languages. It literally 

 means the four members of an arm}^, elephants, 

 horses, chariots, and foot soldiers, the same as ex- 

 hibited at this day ; but the game described by him 

 is more generally known by the name of Chaturdji, 

 or Xht fouj-' kings, since, he observes, " it is played 

 by four persons rei)resenting as many princes, two 

 allied armies combatifig on each side." The board 

 is quadrilateral, with sixty-four checks as ours ; but 

 what forms one army with us, is divided in two, 

 each having its king, elephant, horse, and boat, 

 with four foot soldiers in front, placed at the left 

 hand angle of each face of the board. The power 

 of the king is the same as in the modern game ; the 

 elephant has the same powers as the English queen, 

 moving at will in all directions ; the horse the same 

 as the modern horse or knight : the boat as the mo- 

 dern bishop, with the limitation of moving only two 

 checks at once ; the peon the same as the modern 

 pawn. 



This game is mentioned in the oldest law books, 

 and is said to have been invented by the wife of Ra- 

 van, king o^ Lanca, (i. e. Cei/lon,) in order to amuse 

 him with an image of war (field war I suppose is 

 meant,) while his metropolis was closely besieged by 

 Rama, in the second age of the world. Rama*, 

 according to Sir William Jones's Chronology of the 

 Hindoos, appeared on earth at least three thousand 

 eight hundred years ago ; and this event happened 



I I 2 . in 



* The high degree of polish which prevailed at the court of Ravan, 

 at this early period, is well worthy notice. In a copy from an ancienc 

 Hindoo painting which I possess, his capital appears to be regularly 

 fortified in the antique style, with projecting round towers and battle- 

 ments, and he is said to have defended it with singular ability ; hence 

 he and his people were called magicians and giants, for to the invading 

 •. Rama, and his hordes of Barbarian mountaineers, called in derision 

 satyrs or monkeys^ his scitr.ce must have appeared supernatural. \\\ 

 fact, Ravan appears to have been the Archiaiidet qf Lanca. 



