History of Mah Jongg
Mah jongg is a gambling game of unknown origins. There are, however, colorful theories and myths surrounding its history. While the game has gone worldwide and splintered into slightly different variations, it can still be identified as a game played with 144 tiles that are inscribed with Chinese characters.
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Theories/Speculation
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Mah jongg's popularity waxed and waned. Mah jongg's origins are muffled in myth and speculation. One theory is that the game was played on Noah's Ark to pass the time during the 40 days and nights of rain, according to Mind Sports Worldwide.
Another school of thought believes that the philosopher Confucius created the game during the Zhou Dynasty, which was from 1045 B.C. to 256 B.C. While he was trekking through various provinces teaching and spreading his ideology to a largely illiterate population, he brainstormed the game in order to have pictorial representations for his key doctrines. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that records of mah jongg being played coincide with the order of his travels.
A third assumption is that it evolved from a card game called Madidao during the span of the Ming Dynasty from 1368 to 1644.
Time Frame
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Mah Jongg entered western culture when it appeared in Shanghai clubs. Mah jongg's modern timeline is more concise. By the 1900s, it debuted in English clubs in Shanghai and by 1907 reached Japan. During the 1920s, mah jongg was in vogue throughout America, and by 1923, $1,505,000 worth of mah jongg sets were exported to the U.S., according to the University of Maryland.
The mah jongg craze waned during the late 1920s as other diversions such as professional baseball games and dance marathons became popular. With the onslaught of the Great Depression, however, mah jongg had a resurgence in popularity. The game was so popular in America by 1935 that the National Mah Jongg League was created to set official rules. In China, the game was made illegal in 1949 as the newly-formed People's Republic of China outlawed gambling, citing it as a corrupt pastime of the capitalist world.
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Features
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Mah Jongg tiles were originally made from bone or ivory. Originally, tiles were made from ivory or bone and then reinforced with bamboo. While such sets are still available, more economically-sound materials have since been developed. One such material is Bakelite, a form of delicate plastic that is made from formaldehyde and phenol. Other sets are made from celluloid or nylon.
Function
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Like chess, mah jongg may bolster mental agility. Since its creation, mah jongg has been considered both an enjoyable pastime as well as a mental exercise. Because the game necessitates concentration, it was nicknamed "the game of a hundred intelligences." Some medical studies show that mah jongg helps dementia patients regain focus.
Identification
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Symbols distinguish mah jongg tiles. A mah jongg set is recognized by its sections. Since going global, most sets are now numbered so that the Western world can understand the titles even if unaware of the symbolic inscriptions. The initial three suits are circles, bamboos and thousands, all of which are numbered 1 to 9 and consist of four tiles each. Then there are tiles, (also four each), representing winds from the North, South, East and West; dragon tiles distinguished by the colors red, green and white, seasonal tiles individually marked with a plum, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamboo and flower tiles to represent spring, summer, winter and fall.
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References
- Photo Credit mahjong 2 image by Melisback from Fotolia.com mah jong image by Crisps85 from Fotolia.com shanghai 2008 image by maiam from Fotolia.com majong image by Crisps85 from Fotolia.com Chess image by Sophiay from Fotolia.com
