Mancala is a board game that has a great prehistoric heritage. Basically, Mancala is a count and capture board game or otherwise known as the “sowing” game. The term “Mancala” has been derived from the Arabic word “naqala” which means “moved”.
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Variants of Mancala Game
It can be said that there are hundreds of variants of the Mancala game which can be found across the world. There are more than 800 traditional Mancala games which are played in almost 99 countries across the world. Moreover, there are around 200 invented games associated with Mancala. Some of the widely played Mancala games are
- Bao which is mostly played in Kenya and Zanzibar.
- Pallanguzhi is quite famous in Tamil Nadu and there are two varieties of this game i.e. Kaashi and Bank.
- Kalah is the most eminent modern version of Mancala and it was invented by William Julius Champion Jr. in Colorado in the year 1940.
- Oware is mostly played in Ghana and is the national game of Ghana.
- Omweso is an important game in Uganda and is quite simple.
Game Origin ( Who made the Game)
Many archaeologists believe that Mancala is the oldest game in the world due to various evidence found in the Mediterranean region i.e. Jordan around the 6000 BC.
The most primitive evidence about Mancala was found in Ethiopia in the 6th Century and the first Arabic writing about the game was found in the 10th Century.
In the early part of the 17th Century, European explorer Richard Jobson propagated about the Mancala game and then the widespread use of Mancala game was started.
Components of Mancala Board Game
The major components of the Mancala game are a Mancala board and 48 colored plastic pieces that are also known as “stones”.
Mancala Game Setup
The set-up of the Mancala game consists of the below-mentioned features.
- The board of Mancala game consists of two rows which have six pockets each. These pockets are called “holes” or “pits”.
- In each of the 12 pockets, 4 pieces are placed and the color of the pieces is immaterial.
- Every player has a store which is also known as Mancala towards the right of the player.
The objective of the game
The main objective of the game is to gather the maximum number of pieces by the end of the game.
How to Play the Game / Strategy / Game Rules
The Mancala game can be played by following the below-mentioned rules or strategies.
- To start with, you will pick up all the pieces in any of the pockets which are present on your side.
- You will have to move in a counter-clockwise direction and will deposit one of the stones in each pocket until all stones are deposited.
- If you are in your store, you will deposit one piece into it. However, if you are in the opponent’s store you will have to skip it and move forward.
- If you can drop the last piece in your store, you will obtain another turn.
- If you are dropping the last piece into an empty pocket, you can capture that piece and any pieces which are present in the opposite pocket.
- You should place all the captured pieces in your store.
- The game will end when all the six pockets that are present on one side of the Mancala board are empty.
- When the game ends, if there is a player who has all pieces on his side of the board will capture those pieces.
- The pieces have to be counted at the end of the game and the player who has a maximum number of pieces is the winner.
Benefits of playing this game ( for kids and elders)
The Mancala game helps in improving the planning, thinking and logic building skills in children. It also helps in the improvement of face to face social interaction between adults.
The Mancala game also helps improve concentration and observation skills in children who face learning disabilities. It also helps in the development of counting and comparing skills in children.
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