52 g H. G. Raverty— The Invention of Chess and Backgammon. [Bo. \ i 
a mann was required, which, is equal to 40 sers. Going on calculating 
in this nanner by the time they came to the fortieth square, the quan¬ 
tity required was 2,970,152 manns, which the revenue officials computed 
to be the produce of one city with its dependent lands and Tillages, 
according to the revenue custom in those parts; and they then began to 
calculate by cities. For the fiftieth square it was found that the pro¬ 
duce of 1,024 such cities would be required ; for the sixtieth square, the 
produce of 1,048,576 cities; and for the sixty-fourth or last square, 
16,777,216 cities! But, taking the surface of the whole earth into 
account, if there should be one city on every square mile even, there 
would not be sufficient to furnish the quantity of wheat required to 
carry out the promise given to Sahsih, much less the cities and their 
lands and villages contained in the Rai’s dominions. Hearing this 
astonishing statement, Rai Bhalit turned his face towards Sahsih and 
exclaimed: “ O sage ! thy genius and sagacity in inventing this game 
of chess are as nothing compared with the astonishing kind of reward 
which thou hast chosen for it.” 
As it was found thus to be impossible to comply with Sahsih’s 
request, whether he received or accepted auy other reward, the chroni¬ 
clers do not say. Be this as it may, Rai Bhalit used to be constantly 
occupied in playing the game up to the time of his death. When this 
took place, there was no heir to succeed him on the throne, save his wife, 
who was then pregnant by him. Consequently, his widow, in concert 
with the chief men of the country, proceeded to administer its affairs 
until the period arrived for her being delivered ; and she gave birth to 
a male child. She gave him the name—not a title here—of Shah ; and 
used to devote herself to his bringing up, and to his education. During 
his childhood and early youth, she continued as before to carry on the 
affairs of the country; and when Shah grew up, he, inheriting his late 
father’s warlike spirit, began to undertake military expeditions ; and he 
brought the whole of his father’s territories, some of which had been 
seized by enemies during his minority, completely under his sway. In 
whatever direction he turned his arms he used to be successful, until 
after some time had passed away, in one of his more distant expeditions, 
he was dangerously wounded in an encounter, and died of his wounds. 
There was no one about the court who could venture to break this 
sad news to his mother, and acquaint her with the fate of her son, until 
one of the chief men, who was a proficient in the game of chess, which 
her late husband, Rai Bhalit, used so much to delight in, agreed to 
acquaint her. When he reached the presence of the Rani, he found her 
in a state of great anxiety and despondency, and her mind much disturbed 
on account of the prolonged absence of her son. Although he was well 
