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Origins of Polo in Ancient Persia

Polo originated as a simple game played by nomads in Central Asia, with the modern form developing in ancient Persia. It gained popularity among Persian nobility and royalty as early as the Parthian Empire between 247 BC to 224 AD. Polo was an important pastime in the Sasanian Empire from 224-651 AD, with Emperor Shapur II learning to play at age seven in 316 AD. Women also played alongside men during this period in Persia.

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Jitendra Pandey
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100 views1 page

Origins of Polo in Ancient Persia

Polo originated as a simple game played by nomads in Central Asia, with the modern form developing in ancient Persia. It gained popularity among Persian nobility and royalty as early as the Parthian Empire between 247 BC to 224 AD. Polo was an important pastime in the Sasanian Empire from 224-651 AD, with Emperor Shapur II learning to play at age seven in 316 AD. Women also played alongside men during this period in Persia.

Uploaded by

Jitendra Pandey
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

History[edit]

Tang dynasty Chinese courtiers on horseback playing a game of polo, 706 AD

Origins[edit]
Although the exact origins of the game are unknown, it most likely began as a simple game played
by mounted Iranian and Turkic nomads in Central Asia, with the current form originating
in Iran (Persia) and spreading east and west.[7][8] In time polo became a Persian national sport played
extensively by the nobility. Women played as well as men. [9] During the period of the Parthian
Empire (247 BC to 224 AD), the sport had great patronage under the kings and noblemen.
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity, polo (known as čowgān in Middle Persian,
i.e. chovgan), was a Persian ball game and an important pastime in the court of the Sasanian
Empire (224–651).[10] It was also part of royal education for the Sasanian ruling class.
[10]
 Emperor Shapur II learnt to play polo when he was seven years old in 316 AD. Known
as chowgan, it is still played in the region today.

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