History of Backgammon

The First Board Games

The origins of the game of backgammon can be traced back to the Middle East and ancient Egypt, where the game of Senet was played over 5,000 years ago. This board game was a race between two players played with sticks or bones instead of dice. Archeological excavations in Mesopotamia discovered another racing game from around the same period. Referred to as the Royal Game of Ur, its rules are the subject of debate. An original board can be seen at the British Museum, and has been dated to around 2,600 BC.

Tabula and the Roman Empire

Backgammon continued to evolve over the next few thousand year, slowly taking shape in its current form. The Romans played a game called Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum , which means the 'game of 12 lines'. By the first century AD this game took the form of Alea, a board game with 2 rows of 12 points . In Latin, all board games were referred to as Tabula.

Persia and game of Nard

In the first millennium backgammon continued evolving, taking the form of Nard in Persia. The great poet Ferdowsi credits Bozorghmehr with inventing it around 1000AD. This game rapidly became popular all over the known world, being played as far east as Japan, and with the spread of the Moorish empire (circa 1100AD) as far west as Spain .

Backgammon and Europe

Backgammon was introduced to Great Britain by soldiers returning from the Crusades. Records show they played a two player game known as Tables . At the same time jeux de tables began to be popular in France, until it was banned by King Louis XI in 1254. The game's popularity also increased in England, and it was also briefly outlawed along with other wager based games until the reign of Elizabeth I. Over the next few centuries the game spread to the furthest parts of Europe - including Germany, Iceland and Sweden

It is around this time around Europe that the rules began to be codified.