Lewis,
G. Walker, the German handbooks, and Staunton's popular works.
------
INTERDICTIONS OF CHESS
Al Hakem Biamri Llah, or Abu Ali Mansur, sixth Khalif of
the dynasty of the Fatimites or Obeydites of Egypt, 996-1021,
according to some authorities interdicted chess. Mr. Harkness
in Notes to Living Chess implies that he had some put to death
for playing it. Sprenger, Gayangoz, and Forbes do not mention
or confirm this, besides, though this Khalif did not much regard
the Koran, kept dancing-women and singers, indulged in all sorts
of frivolous pastimes, and was very much addicted to drinking,
as well as cruelty and tyranny, he was not a bigot. The more
famous Al Mansur (962-1002), the celebrated General and Minister
of Hisham II, tenth Sultan of Cordova, of the dynasty of Ummeyah,
was more likely to have issued such a mandate, for we read "in
order to gain popularity with the ignorant multitude, and to court
the favour of the ulemas of Cordova, and other strict men, who
were averse to the cultivation of philosophical sciences, Al
Mansur commanded a search to be made in Al Hakem's library, when
all works treating on ethics, dialectics, metaphysics, and
astronomy, were either burnt in the squares of the city, or
thrown into the wells and cisterns of the palace.
Pages:
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297