Playing card (Indian)

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Indian playing cards were developed independently of their European counterparts. However, Persian influences are evident. Typically they are round, but rectangular shapes also occur. Except for the Ganjifah , all symbols on the cards are taken from Hindu myths and astrology.

History and types

The round shape of board stones is derived, although direct evidence for this connection is missing. Overall, people are poorly informed about Indian playing cards; there is little work that deals with it.

In addition to the domestic games described below, replicas of European games are also common. There are mixed suit games that have both Indian and European (mostly French) symbols.

Ganjifah

Ganjifah cards from the Mughal Empire , early 19th century

The word Ganjifah ( English ganjifa ) is of Persian origin ( ganjifeh كنجفه) and simply means "playing cards". However, it mostly describes the most famous Indian card game. The Ganjifah is probably the game that is mentioned in the oldest sources, where it says the Mughal Emperor Akbar I (1542–1605) developed it from an older game with 144 sheets in 12 colors.

This is a game with eight colors, each with two atouts (trumps) and 10 number cards - a total of 96 hands. It is a game of profane picture content. The eight sentences are intended to symbolize the eight administrative units of the imperial Mughal court. The trumps are Mir (King) and Pradhan (Minister). The value of the number cards is determined by the number of characters. The eight colors form two groups of four colors each, the first is considered weaker, the second is stronger. The order of the values ​​changes. The first leads the game during the day, the second at night. The Mir of the first color in each group is the highest trump, the Pasha . The weak group: 1; Surukuh , 2; Bharat (document); 3; Quimash ; 4; Chang (Indian lyre-like musical instrument). Strong group: 5; Safet (moon), 6; Shamsher (sword), 7; Taj (three-pronged crown), 8; Golam (people in different scenes). The affiliation of a sheet to one of the groups is indicated not by color symbols, but by the primer color.

Dashavatara

The picture cards come from the mythological sphere. They represent Vishnu in his 10 incarnations, which correspond to the 10 colors with their two atouts and 10 number cards each, i.e. 120 sheets. Each card has a basic color that covers the entire surface. The sequence of the incarnations resulting from the myth gives the order of the colors. Usually three players play, but there are variants for 5 players in Bengal .

Evidence from the southern Indian culture is missing for this game.

Ramayana

The Ramayana game is based on the mythology of the god Rama . It consists of 144 sheets and is divided into 12 colors with two atouts and 10 payment cards each. The higher of the two trump cards is Rama, enthroned under a canopy.

Chad

Is a South Indian game of which 13 variants are known. This game shows a mixture of mythological and astrological elements. A typical example is the Chamundeshwari game, in which a total of 16 mythological figures preside. The values ​​of the 12 number cards result from the sequence of signs of the zodiac. In addition to the resulting 288 hands, there are 25 Shaktis , which can be seen as additional trump cards. Finally, there are seven leaves with the representation of a large bird, which have a joker function.

Panch Pandava has 216 (192) hands with 12 suits of 6 trumps. These are: chariot, sedan chair, rider on horseback, elephant rider, foot warrior and palace roof.

The Jagad Mohan game is related to this, but has no astrological reference. It consists of 360 sheets and consists of 18 suits of six trumps each and 12 payment cards. There are also 27 Shaktis (without color symbols, representing gods) and 9 bird jokers.

Another game in this group is the Nawa Graha with 216 sheets (12 colors with 6 atouts and 12 payment cards each).

Krishna Raj , also a member of the Chad group, has 72 sheets in four colors of 6 atouts and 12 payment cards.

See also

literature

  • Indian Ganjifa and Dasavatara . In: IPCS II / 2, p. 22
  • AB Deodhar: Illustrated Marathi Games . Bombay 1905
  • Detlef Hoffmann : The world of the playing card - a cultural history . 2nd Edition. Munich 1972, 96 p. 2nd edition 1983 (Hugendubel), p. 56 f .; en. Ex .: The Playing card . NY 1973
  • Rud. von Leyden: Indian card games . In: Graphis , 6, 1950. No. 33. pp. 386-95. German / English
  • Rud. von Leyden: The Playing Cards of South India . In: The Illustrated Weekly of India , Oct. 3, 1954
  • Rud. von Leyden: Indian playing cards. Inventory cat. of the German Playing Card Museum . Leinfelden 1977, 155 p. (Self-published by ASS Leinfelden)
  • Rud. von Leyden: Indian playing cards. Inventory cat. in the Museum of Ethnology . Vienna 1978
  • Rud. von Leyden: Mythological Themes in Indian Playing Cards compared to the sources . In: Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunde Südostasiens , Vienna 1980, 24, pp. 181–189
  • Rud. von Leyden: The Indian Playing Cards of Francis Douce and the Ganjifa Folios in the Richard Johnson Collection . In: Bodleian Library Record , Oxford 1981, 10.5, pp. 297-304
  • Rudolf von Leyden: The world of the Indian playing cards - history, systematics and production . Vienna 1981 (Braumüller), Sert .: Publications on the Archives for Ethnology, 8, ISBN 3-7003-0298-3
  • Rudolf von Leyden: Ganjifa - the playing cards of India… Victoria & Albert Museum collection . London 1982 (V&A Museum), 128 p. [Exhibition catalog]
  • Rudolf von Leyden: A Note on Certain Suit Signs in Indian Playing Cards . In: JCPS , 1974, vol. III / 3 pp. 33-36.
  • Eberhard Pinder: Charter Lusoria . Biberach ad Riss 1961

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