Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-11-25
ANTIQUITY OF POLO.
The Game Was Played in Asia in
the Tenth Century.
Early Patrons Were Rulers of the
Country : Popular with the
Greeks In the Twelfth Gem
tury-Later History.

of polo was played is not definitely
known, but it is well known that in
the early part of the tenth century
the game was played in parts of Asia,
principally in Persia, India and Japan.
In the latter country, where it was
undoubtedly played in the sixth cen
tury, there is tradition that the
game was known to the people 600
years before Christ, says the Rider
and Driver.
Many old eastern writings make
reference to the game under the Per-
sian name of chaugan.
Among the early patrons of the
game some of the more distinguished
were Harun- Alraschid, the amir ma
sud of Ghazni the Emperor Akbar
and the Shah Abbas, the Persian mon
arch. The latter. a great patron of
the game, evidently found it great
relief from mental labor to galop
about on wild little pony and en-
deavor to hit the chaugan ball harder
and oftener than any of his courtiers.
The plains of Agra furnished a
great polo ground for the Emperor
Akbar, where three centuries ago he
might have been seen within quad
rangle formed by howdahed elephants
and squadrons of horsemen playing
chaugan with his courtiers on the
present site of Tai. The. sticks they
played with were topped with gold
and silver, and when a stick broke the
pieces became the property of those
who picked them up The emperor
must have been quite an enthusiast
upon the game, for it is recorded that
frequently on dark nights he went
out upon the plain and played for
hours, using blazing wooden balls
that seethed and spluttered as they
bounded over the ground.
Polo was probably first played in
Europe by the Greeks in the twelfth
century, for a Byzantian historian
tells us how the Greek emperor, Com
menus, took "cropper" while play
ing a chaugan match.
In India chaugan was played for
ages in Munnipore and the valleys of
Thibet before it was taken up by the
English. 1t is probably from this
place that the game derived the name
of polo, for it is probably corrup-
tion of pulu, the Thibetan name for
the game. In 1859 j. F. Sherer.
lieutenant in the English army, hav-
ing become interested in the game
from seeing it played by the Munni-
pories, organized a European polo
club in Cachar, and by playing exhi-
bition matches soon started the game
among the young officers and mer-
chants of his acquaintance. 1t was
largely through the efforts of Sherer
that polo became popular in Calcutta,
where in 1864 he was rendered a great
dinner in recognition of his services
He has since been justly called 'the
father of polo" The game has since
spread throughout all India, and is
played from the Himalayas to Ceylon
and the great tournaments held year
ly at Murat and Umballa. which are
attended by large and appreciative
throngs, are strong evidences of it's
popularity. Nor is its popularity con-
fined to India alone, for polo is played
to-day in almost every civilized coun-
try in the world.
The way in which the first game Of
polo came to be played in England
is as follows: A number of young
officers quartered at Aldershot were
sitting in tent after lunch when one
of their number, who had been read
ing a paper, suddenly interrupted
them with: "Listen to this. boys"
and then he read aloud an account of
game of polo played by the Munni-
pories. "That must be great game" "
said one; ''let us try it," Suiting the
action to the word, he ran out and or
dered the horses to be brought, while
the others supplied themselves with
hockey sticks and billiard ball
With this crude outfit and upon big
horses was the first game of polo
played in England. 1t was soon evil
dent that the game could not he
played successfully upon tall horses
and ponies were brought from Ire
land for polo purposes. Other regi-
ments took up the game, until tourna-
ments became quite common. Large
clubs were started at Lille Bridge
and Nottingham, and the latter place
is still the favorite resort of polo play.
ers in England.