From 'Chausar' to 'Ludo King' - the evolution of Ludo
The exact origin of this legendary game is uncertain . The earliest evidence of it is found in the stone carvings in cave no 21 of Ellora where Siva and Parvati are depicted as playing Chaupar or dice . Pachisi , the ancient form of Ludo , was invented around 6th Century AD in India itself . For centuries, people have played similar versions of the game we know as Ludo today . It was played on various mediums like cloth, slate, boards using seeds, shells, staves or dice. After hundreds of years of evolution , the game can now even be played remotely through android apps .
The game eventually became famous around the world in many popular variations. For example, the Spanish version of the game was known by the name ‘Parcheesi’ and the Chinese called it ‘Chatush pada’ (meaning four cloth) . It goes by the name ‘Ludu’ in Africa .
Cave 21 : Hall view of Siva and Parvati playing Chausar or Dice . Ellora , Aurangabad , Maharasshtra , India
Going down the history lane:
Ludo made an appearance in the great Mahabharata as well. It featured prominently as the game of choice between the Pandavas and the Kauravas leading to Draupadi’s ‘cheerharan’ , which eventually led to the war of Kurukshetra. While it is known that this event was like the final nail to the coffin that lead to the war of Kurukshetra, what’s less known is that the dice used in this disreputable game had some magical powers .They would only obey Shakuni’s command. Some versions of Mahabharat explain that the dice were made from the cursed bones of family members of Shakuni. Hence the dice would only obey Shakuni’s command. So winning the game was a piece of cake for Shakuni and the Kauravas.
The popularity of the game continued throughout the medieval period . Some historians suggest that the Mughal emperor Akbar used to play this game . But instead of using shells or seeds, the emperor used slave girls from his harem as pieces on a life-sized board! It is believed that he was so fond of the game that his palaces in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri had halls dedicated to this game, with floors depicting the game board drawn on them.
Akbar plays Pachisi or Chaupar with live pieces at Fatehpur Sikri in 1575 . After the painting by Ambrose Dudley . From Hutchinson's History of the Nations , published in 1915
The modern form of the game was the brainchild of a Britisher by the name Alfred Collier . In the year 1891 , he modified the game of Pachisi by adding a dice cup to it and registered it for a patent in the UK, naming it The Royal Ludo . Since then the game became popular worldwide by the name we know today . Later on, the British Royal Navy converted it into a board game called ‘Uckers’.
"Group of Marwaree men playing chess [actually pachisi]" a photo perhaps by Taurines , c.1880’s Source : coumbia.edu
What is it about Ludo that has made it such a longstanding game across hundreds of years ? Perhaps the charm lies in its simplicity and elegant design . Or maybe it’s about the way it brings people from varying age groups together in order to spend some quality time . No matter what, one thing is for sure –Ludo is extremely fun and addictive .
That explains its recent adaptation in the form of mobile apps , the most famous being – ‘Ludo King’ by Gametion Technologies . The company was formed by Mr. Vikash Jaiswal in 2010 , starting off with the trend of the day - flash games for computer systems . Although the ‘Ludo King’ app was developed four years ago in 2016, it saw a huge surge in its active users in India after the lockdown imposed by the government in the wake of Coronavirus - with a 142% jump in downloads between February and April . It is the first Indian gaming application to pass 100 million downloads and was the sixth most downloaded game worldwide in May 2020 , according to Sensor Tower . But as the country opens up again , the question is whether ludo apps can retain their popularity .
Amazing facts. Thanks for sharing this. Hope, we will be getting something more like this in future
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