A wide variety of game pieces from Mohenjo-daro on a modern wooden board. Sir John Marshall, one of the earliest excavators at Mohenjo-daro writes in the monumental work summarizing the first finds at the site (Mohenjo-daro and the Indus Civilization

The Museum of the University of Pennsylvania owns several “boards”–they are actually made of cloth–used for playing the games known in India as pachisi (pacisi), chaupar (caupara), and chausar (causara). One of these is illustrated here.

Numerous toys were recovered made of clay, which were especially made for children, which leads us to believe the fact that children did involve themselves in lots of games. Without much ado, let’s take a look at the kinds toys used by children of those times.

4 days ago · There were different kinds of gamesmen found in the various Indus-Saraswati excavations done in the archeological sites for more than a century. Similarly, Keeladi excavations done in this decade present different types of gamesmen as well.

Apr 23, 2024 · Toys and games held significant cultural importance in the Indus Valley Civilization, serving as more than mere playthings. They were intricately linked to societal norms, religious beliefs, and educational practices, offering a window into the values and traditions upheld by the ancient Harappan people.

A wide variety of game pieces from Mohenjo-daro on a modern wooden board. Sir John Marshall, one of the earliest excavators at Mohenjo-daro writes in the monumental work summarizing the first finds at the site (Mohenjo-daro and the Indus Civilization, 1931, pp. 557-58):

Each player represents a city of the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), also known as the Harappan Culture. The IVC flourished (in present day Pakistan) 3300 - 1300 BCE. The game is conducted over 10 turns. Each turn represents 200 years. Players share a common deck.

The Indus valley civilisation or Harappan civilisation originated during 2500 BC around the Indus valley, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, which now is eastern Pakistan. This civilisation is very well known in their advancement of technology and lifestyle.

Most boards have a large square divided by vertical, horizontal and sometimes diagonal lines (fig. 6.39) Many similar gaming boards are still used by chil- dren throughout the northern subcontinent to play strategy games, such as capturing the "tiger" with "elephants."

It seems that the Indian game of Chaturanga (Chess) had its origin in one of the Harappan Games. Much valuable information about the various indoor games indulged in by the Harappans is available from the gamesmen, game-boards and dices found at the major Indus cities.