Mahjong, a History

Among the many myths of the origin of mahjong is one suggesting that the Chinese philosopher Confucius invented the game in about 500 BC.   The three dragon tiles are believed to be aligned with the three cardinal virtues touted by Confucius.  Hóng Zhōng, it is believed, represented benevolence, sincerity, and filial piety, in that order.  This myth also asserts that Confucius, being fond of birds, is the explanation for the game’s name, “mahjong,”  a Chinese word meaning “sparrow.”  The myth would appear to be plausible, given that Confucius was indeed fond of nature, and being a philosopher, was certainly bright enough to have developed such a complex game.

Alternately, numerous historians believe the game was originally based on the Chinese card game, Mǎdiào,  from the early Ming dynasty. It was a game of 40 paper cards resembling the cards used in another card game called Ya Pei. The 40 cards are numbered 1 to 9 in four different suits.  Then, there are four extra flower cards. This is strikingly similar to the modern numbering of today’s mahjong tiles, with a few exceptions: mahjong only has three suits and, in effect, uses the equivalent of four packs of Ya Pei cards.

Another popular theory of the game’s true origin is that Chinese army officers, serving during the Taiping Rebellion, invented the elaborate game to pass the time. Yet another theory still is that a nobleman of Shanghai created the game in the late 1800s. There is also a story about two brothers from Níngpō having possibly created mahjong around 1850, basing it on the earlier game of Mǎdiào.

When the People’s Republic of China seized power in 1949, mahjong was banned by the government, which forbade any gambling activities since they were regarded as symbols of capitalist corruption. Fotunately, the game was revived after the Cultural Revolution.  The prohibition on the game was finally lifted in 1985.  Today, mahjong is a favorite game in China and other Chinese-speaking areas around the world.

Mahjong is a great game to play as a family. My family and I have Mahjong Sunday in the summer. I’d love for this tradition to carry into the winter months, but our direct tv sports package takes over with Sunday football.