Sir Burton on games played in Sindh

Though the invasion of Sindh by the East India Company during 1843 was an evil act, and the natives never welcomed that invasion, once Sindh was merged with the Bombay Presidency, Sindhis started a struggle to regain their status as an independent state, which eventually laid the foundation of a separate country for Muslims, which was called Pakistan. Even though the act of invasion was unwelcome but it was the British period in which we see a progressive Sindh. During this period Sindhi language was uniformed, roads were built, proper irrigation system was installed, railway tracks from Karachi to Kotri were laid.

 Moreover, Sindhi literature flourished in this very period. Mirza Qalich Baig wrote the first Sindhi novel named Dilaram.

 Amongst the British, there was also Sir Richard F Burton, who had a special attachment with Sindh, calling it ‘Young Egypt’, comparing its cities with Cairo. He wrote five books on Sindh, covering many aspects of Sindhi life, culture and civilisation. One amongst them is Sindh And The Races That Inhabit The Valley of The Indus, published in 1851 at London; in this Burton has collected folklores, accounts of Sindhi poets, traditions, races, and games played in Sindh. Here is the account of games he collected: pattangabazi (kite-flying), kabutarbazi (betting on pigeons),

kukkurbazi (cock-fighting), ghata (ram fighting), horse racing, dhara (dice), chanarpisi and nautran. All of them are games and are played for amusement. Burton gives beautiful explanation of each game; he starts with pattangabazi and writes that kites are flown by all classes, high and low, but the diversion is not that big a favourite with grown up people, as it is in India. There are five or six varieties of the toy, one kind called bharkani or guddi, was a great favourite with native princes, who used to amuse themselves with flying them with a nakkara (kettledrum) hanging to the tail. Bumping of one kite against the other decides the victory when a wager is laid.

Kabutar-bazi or betting on pigeons: It is an amusement peculiar to the higher classes. A bazigar, or tumbler of the best breed, is selected and trained to tumble as quickly and as often as possible when thrown up by the hand. The wager is generally decided by upwards of seven tumbles; should the pigeon accomplish less, the bet is void. As heavy sums are placed on the result of a trial between two noted pigeons, the price of a single one will sometimes be as high as 100 rupees. About 20 rupees is the usual value of a good pair.

A small bird called burbuli (a kind of shrike), is taught to fight like quail in Afghanistan. A male bird is chosen, and tamed by not being permitted to sleep. After the preliminary, he is starved at times for eight to 10 hours in order that he may have to follow a person when called. He is also taught to catch falling objects by tossing up a cowry with a bit of bread fastened to it. Whilst training, he is fed with a kind of cake called churmo, or with chewed bhugra (grains). When the fight is to take place, food is thrown between them, and they start immediately; their backers excite their birds by pushing them with finger. Burbuli is by no means a game bird, and as he only can use his bill, a death rarely occurs. Wagers are seldom laid upon the fight; the victor merely wins the other bird. Boys are very fond of this amusement, and have invented a number of different terms to distinguish between the several kinds of birds, their peculiarities of pecking, etc.

Kukkurbazi (cock-fighting): It is a common, but not a fashionable amusement in Sindh. The birds are generally fought by Muslims at the daira, or drinking houses, on Fridays, as was anciently the practice with our swains on Sundays. Formerly, no Hindu dared to be present, as circumcision would probably have been the result; even these days they are seldom seen at the cockpit. The gamecock of Sindh is a very fine bird, distinguished by bright yellow legs, a peculiar brilliancy and transparency of eye. The feeding and training resembles the Indian way greatly, and require the greatest attention, as the use of steel and silver is unknown. There is no peculiarity in the mode of lifting or fighting birds.

Ghata (ram fighting): The Sindhis are fond of fighting ghata (rams). The best breed is the large and strong black animal of the hills. He is trained as early as possible to butt against the hand excited by a peculiar sound; when full grown he generally becomes so savage that he will attack anyone that comes in his way. The usual food is grain, clarified butter and a little green meat; a very small quantity of water is allowed, and during training as much exercise as possible is given. Rams are fought in the cold season, as they are easily killed in the hot weather. The dairo is the usual place, and Friday the day selected for the sport. A fight seldom lasts longer than half an hour, and the eyes of the fugitive are immediately bandaged; otherwise, he would refuse to meet his conqueror another time.

Horse racing: In Sindh, during the two eids, the people assemble in an eidgah at sunset, and ride short heats of a quarter or half a mile on untrained horses. This is considered a semi-religious exercise, and profitable to man and beast. As they never race for money, the acclamation of those around him is the only reward of the winner.

Dhara (dice): These are four-sided pieces of ivory, about two inches long, and one third of an ace, a deuce (duo), a cinque (panjo), and a sice (chakko). A set of three dice is generally used, and the highest number wins. Muslims avoid it, as in their religion it is considered the worst form of gambling.

Chanarpisi: It resembles Parcheesi, but is more simple, and more easily learned. The board is divided into 25 squares, and each player has four pieces (saryun or gitiyun), with the same number of cowries. The latter are used like dice at backgammon to decide the number of the squares to be moved over. The names of the game are derived from ‘channar’ the technical term, when all four cowries fall to the ground with the slit upwards, and ‘pissi’ when only one is in this position. The game may be played by two or four people, and he who wins that first reaches the centre square. Whenever a piece is in one of the crossed ghar (squares), it cannot be taken by the adversary.

Nautran: It means nine corners. The game is very simple: each player has nine pieces, two of them are placed on any corner of the board on the first move, and one in following moves, until all pieces are on board. Then each player tries to put three pieces in a row either horizontally or vertically, and takes one piece of opponent from any part of board, but he cannot take from opponents tun (three pieces in row). A person loses the game if only two of his pieces remain on the board. This is a two-player game.

These were pointed out by Burton in 1851, and after that book, no one has tried to point out such unique practices. It is such rituals, taboos and practices, by which a group of people is differentiated from other groups of people.

 (First Published in Daily Times, April 2016, writer: Kaleem Butt)