Shahnama theory

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The Shahnama theory is a story occurring in the epic of Shahnama by the great Persian poet Ferdowsi relating to the invention of chess.

The story relates that a very powerful King of Hind (which may point to India) named Kaid, satiated with war and having no foreign enemies or rebellious subjects within his kingdom addressed his minister Sassa.

"Day and night my mind is harassed with the thoughts of war and strife; when in the hours of the night sleep overpowers me, I dream of nothing but battlefields and conquests, and in the morning, when I awake, I still think over my imaginary combats and victories. Now you are well aware that I have no longer one single enemy or rebel in my whole dominions with whom to contend. It is utterly repugnant to justice and common sense, to go to war without any cause. If I were to do so God would be displeased with me, and a severe retribution for my evil deeds would soon overtake me, even in this world, for is it not said that a kingdom governed by falsehood and oppression is void of stability, and it will soon pass away. Tell me, then, O Sassa, for great is thy wisdom, what am I to do in order to regain my peace of mind, and obtain relief from my present state of weariness and disgust?"

Sassa hereupon bethought himself of a rare game, the invention of an ancient Grecian sage, by name Hermes, which had recently been introduced into India by Alexander and his soldiers, who used to play it at times of leisure. Sassa procured and modified the game and board from 56 pieces and 112 squares to 32 pieces and 64 squares, and explained it to the king, who practised it with both satisfaction and delight, Sassa's stipulation of a reward of a grain of rice doubled again and again 64 times, which was at first deemed ridiculous, was found to amount to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615.

Sassa's price is one grain of rice on the first square of the board, two grains on the second, four on the third, and so on for each of the board's 64 squares. Though the numbers are small at first, this geometric progression totals $264 - 1$ grains of rice, more than in all the rice fields of the world.

[edit] Disputes over the theory

Master Ferdowsi the greatest of Iranian poets wrote also about it in the 11th century, but his sources are solid and form a continuous chain of witnesses going back to the middle of the 6th Century in Iran. Ferdowsi describes chess as arriving from Hind.

According to some Iranian historical sources, the name Hind was not used for India until after the 11th century. Hind may have been referring to the Eastern provinces of the Persian Empire, including Balochistan, and while during the Achaemenid times extended to Khuzistan province, which may suggest a possible Iranian origin of the game.

However, other sources suggest that the word Hind is a Persian transliteration of Sindh, the ancient name for the Indus River (in modern Pakistan), which may suggest an Indian origin of the game. (See Etymology of India.)