Pachisi

High school (ages 12+)
Sports & Games

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pachisi

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the game classification?Cross and circle race game
2. What is the geographic origin?Indian subcontinent, with evidence dating back to the 4th century CE
3. How do you roll the dice in Pachisi?Instead of dice, Pachisi uses cowrie shells. Four to seven shells are tossed, and the way they land gives points that decide how many squares a pawn can move.
4. Why did kings like Pachisi?Playing Pachisi showed wealth and skill. Mughal emperors, like Akbar, even made huge boards in their palaces and gardens to play with courtiers.

Cross and Circle Game: A genre of board games characterized by a central goal and radiating paths, where players race pieces.
Cowrie Shells: Seashells historically used as a form of currency and as randomizing devices (dice) in various games.
Progenitor Game: An original game from which multiple other games have been derived or inspired over time.