57 
1902.] H. G. Raverty —The Invention of Chess and Backgammon. 
played, which game one of the sages of Sind had invented, he would 
be ready to give up his territory and his treasures to him ; but, if they 
could not, it would be unworthy in him to acknowledge Nuh-shirwan’s 
superiority, or pay tribute to him in future; and it would be unjust 
and unbecoming in him, the Kisra, under such circumstances, to 
entertain the idea of enforcing it by invading his territory ; and further, 
in case any of the Kisra’s wise men had invented any thing of the 
kind, that he would be pleased to send it to him.” This message, 
therefore, was equivalent to a wager, that he would stake his territory 
and wealth against Nuh-shlrwan’s claim to suzerainty over Sind and 
the extortion of tribute, and that the sages of Persia could not dis¬ 
cover how the game of chess should be played; but, in this, the Rai of 
Sind was “ Check Mated ” at his own game, as will presently appear. 
I must here retrace my steps for a moment, to refer to the famous 
Minister of Huh-shirwan, the sage, Buzur Jamhir. 
One night in the early part of his reign, Nuh-shirwan had a 
dream, which greatly disturbed him. He beheld himself seated on the 
throne, with a goblet of wine in his hand, and was about to quaff some 
of its contents when a hog, which was seated at his side unperceived, 
snatched the goblet out of his hand, and drank of the contents. He 
caused the wise men of his court to be summoned to his presence; and 
when they were assembled he related to them his horrid dream, and 
requested that they would interpret its meaning to him. All were at 
a loss to explain it, until after a short time, one of the Mubids or 
Priests of the Grabrs or Fire Worshippers, brought to Nuh-shirwan’s 
presence, a young man, a native of Marw of Khurasan, who had lately 
been studying at Balkh, where was the great Atish-Kadah or Temple 
of the Grabrs, who was named Abuzur Jamhir, or Buzur Jamhir, to 
interpret the monarch’s dream, which still disturbed him greatly. 
The dream having been told him, he, after some consideration, explain¬ 
ed it. He said: “In the Kisra’s haram (vul. “harem”)—which 
contained upwards of one hundred ladies, the sisters and daughters of 
kings and petty rulers—there is one lady, the daughter of the Malik 
or king of Chaje (the ancient name of Farghanah) of Turkistan; and 
along with her, in the disguise of a slave girl, there is a youth, and he 
is on terms of intimacy with her.” This interpretation amazed all 
present; and Nuh-shirwan commanded that investigation should at 
once be made, and that all the ladies and female attendants of the 
haram should be brought before him one by one ; and the young man, 
the Khwajah, Buzur Jamhir, was in attendance. He detected the 
youth disguised as a female slave ; and he, along with his paramour, 
was forthwith put to death. 
J. i. 8 
