The Institutes of Akbar 220.1

220.1

This is a well known game. His Majesty has made some alterations in the cards. Ancient sages took the number twelve as the basis, and made the suit to consist of twelve cards; but they forgot that the twelve kings should be of twelve different kinds. His Majesty plays with the following suits of cards. 1st, Ashwapati, the lord of horses. The highest card represents a king on horseback, resembling the king of Dihli, with the umbrella (chatr), the standard (’alam), and other imperial ensigns. The second highest card of the same suit represents a vazir on horseback; and after this card come ten others of the same suit with pictures of horses, from one to ten. 2nd, Gajpati, the king whose power lies in the number of his elephants, as the ruler of Orisah. The other eleven cards represent, as before, the vazir, and elephants from ten to one. 3rd, Narpati, a king whose power lies in his infantry, as is the case with the rulers of Bijapur. The card represents a king sitting on his throne in imperial splendour; the vazir sits on a foot stool (sandali), and the ten cards completing this suit have foot soldiers, from one to ten. 4th, Gadhpati. The card shews a man sitting on a throne over a fort; the vazir sits on a sandali over a fort; and the remaining ten cards have forts from one to ten, as before. 5th, Dhanpati, the lord of treasures. The first card of this suit shews a man sitting on a throne, and gold and silver heaps;