shashi wrote on Tue, Apr 25, 2006 11:43 PM UTC:Average ★★★
What people miss in history when looking from western perspective is that
many things didn't start only in Europe or were invented by the Arabs
(not equivalent to Muslims, since Arab civilization is much older than
Islam). Many things were passed from India to Arab to Europe. Just like
the modern numerals which are called Arabic numerals originated in India,
but for Eurpoeans they seem like Arabic numerals.
Similarly the reference to Chaturanga dates back to Mahabharat, which
by
astronomical references in it and by the discovery of the sunken port of
Dwarka in Bay of Cambay (Khambat) in India, is at least 3172 BC. This
Chaturanga is the real predecessor to modern day chess, and had pieces
like modern chess PLUS a dice to be thrown. The entire plot of Mahabharat
was basedon the fact the villian cousins cheated the heroe cousins in a
game of Chaturanga and sent them to 13 years of exile in forest.
Also, the inclusion of elephant in it is indicative of its Indian
origins
since only in India were elephants tamed to such extent as to be used in
army or other domestic work.
Similarly the reference to Chaturanga dates back to Mahabharat, which by astronomical references in it and by the discovery of the sunken port of Dwarka in Bay of Cambay (Khambat) in India, is at least 3172 BC. This Chaturanga is the real predecessor to modern day chess, and had pieces like modern chess PLUS a dice to be thrown. The entire plot of Mahabharat was basedon the fact the villian cousins cheated the heroe cousins in a game of Chaturanga and sent them to 13 years of exile in forest.
Also, the inclusion of elephant in it is indicative of its Indian origins since only in India were elephants tamed to such extent as to be used in army or other domestic work.