Polo: The sport of kings loved by Mughal and Iranian royals
If you find the sports of horse riding and hockey fun, then you are sure to find the game of polo absolutely delightful! In this game, team members chase a ball with a stick, all while balancing themselves atop a horse! Just like many other sports, it is played between two teams with four players each. The teams attempt to take the ball to the opposition’s half of the pitch, scoring a goal.
But did you know that polo is the oldest team sport known to mankind? Yes, the origin of polo can be traced back to the 3rd century! The sport has quite a history, with records showing the game being enjoyed by royal Iranians and Mughals! Let’s discover more such interesting facts about polo.
The roots of polo can be traced to Iran
The game of polo, as we see it today, has its roots embedded in 3rd century Iran. Back then, polo was called ‘chowgan’ and was played with a wooden stick and ball while riding a horse. Chowgan was aimed at training troops for balance and coordination. These traits were helpful for the warriors riding horses, especially those in King’s cavalry. The royals then took up the sport and it was enjoyed by men and women alike. It remained a popular sport until the 17th century in Iran and was also named the national sport of Persia. Till date, polo is still known as chowgan in Iran and is one of their favourite sports.
Mughals called polo the ‘sport of kings’!
The famous Mughal emperor Jalal ud-din Akbar was an outstanding player of polo (‘chowgan’). He even introduced rules during the 1560s and invented a special illuminated ball for playing at night. Certain legends say that Akbar used to have gold and silver knobs at the end of his mallet. However, it was Zahir ud-din Babur who established chowgan as an official sport at the Mughal court during the early 15th century. During the late 18th century, when the Mughal rule came to an end, the sport nearly died. However, the tribe members of Ladakh, Baltistan, Chitral and Gilgit kept the sport alive.
Polo reaches the Great Britain
This was all about the Iranians and Mughals, but how did the sport reach the Great Britain? The answer lies in Manipur. Wait, how’s that possible? The story dates back to British rule in India during the 1850s! A group of soldiers from the East India Company were travelling to Assam. On their way, they saw some exiled royal Manipuri princes playing a sport resembling hockey on horseback. The team members wore a pheijom (dhoti) and a turban while playing the game. The British officials were enthralled by the game. In 1853, a member of the East India Company, Robert Stewart, participated in a match with the Manipuri players. Soon, the love of polo spread among other members of the East India Company. Six years later, Col. Joseph Sherer started the first polo club in the world called the Silchar Kangjei Club. That’s how the sport soon became popular throughout India and eventually made it to England. In 1869, the first polo match in England was organised by Edward Hartopp in Hounslow Heath, London. It was after this game that the rules of modern polo were established by the Hurlingham Club, London. Currently, polo is played in around 70 countries across the world!