Hobbies And Interests
The Facts
Parcheesi--also known as Parchesi, Pachisi and Game of India--has its origins in 4 A.D. in India. Boards have been found from this period (see Resources), along with other paraphernalia related to the game. It is said that the great emperors played this game, with their harems playing the part of the pawns and moving around the board on the emperor's command.
History
The game of Parcheesi found its way to many countries, including the U.S. According to some historical accounts, the origins of Parcheesi in the U.S. date to the 1850s, with Sam Loyd creating the game as we know it, but this has never been confirmed as a fact, and Loyd himself is believed to be an unreliable source. The best account of the game's American origin is that James Hamilton first copyrighted it in the year 1867. In 1868, he sold his rights to Albert Swift, who subsequently sold the rights to E.G. Selchow &Co. in 1869. (There is some discrepancy as to the exact dates). Today, Hasbro, Inc. owns the rights to Parcheesi.
Origin of the Name
The name Pachisi is derived from the Indian word "pacis," which means twenty-five. This is a significant number, since it is the highest score that one can throw with the dice used in Parcheesi. It is interesting to note that the name of the game has not significantly changed since its origin thousands of years ago.
Origin of the Game Rules
Back in 4 A.D., the game was set up for four players, and each player had to move all of his pawns from his start location around the board to his home position. Along the way, he could knock off opponents by landing on a space containing an opponent's pawn and send that pawn back to start. In the late 1800s, a variation of this theme was added that pitted two teams against each other instead of all four players in a free-for-all. Today, people play the game according to the original rules from 4 A.D., with four players pitted against each other in a race to get all of the pieces home first. The only real change is that we now call the parts "pieces," whereas the original name for them was "pawns."
Cross and Circle
Originally, Parcheesi (or Pachisi) was considered part of a larger group of games known collectively as "cross and circle" games. These games were popular in ancient times, with variations across Asia and South America played by groups including the Mayans and Aztecs. These games were huge among the royalty as a way to pass their leisure time.