by Charles Bobbitt

Created on: February 12, 2011   Last Updated: February 13, 2011

The history of mahjong is a topic of debate. While all agree that it originated in China, many disagree about when it was invented, and by whom.

Some argue that the game was developed by Confucius around 500 BC. The proof given for this early origin, though, is meager at best. Those adhering to the Confucius theory will note that the name mahjong was originally, in Chinese pinyin, ma que, meaning sparrow; and, they add, Confucius was known to have liked birds. Unfortunately, while this observation may be interesting, it hardly stands as firm proof of a connection. Furthermore, a lack of physical and written evidence to support such an early appearance of the game makes the Confucius theory highly unlikely.

The first hard evidence of mahjong comes near the end of the nineteenth century. Not surprisingly then, three other competing stories of the beginnings of mahjong claim that the game originated in the mid- to late-1800s. One story has it beginning with a group of soldiers during the Taiping rebellion; another attributes it to a nobleman living in Shanghai; while the third says that it was developed by two brothers from the city of Ningbo (Ningpo) in China’s Zhejiang province. And while these three claims are all more believable than the Confucius theory, none comes with definite proof.

What is likely, though, is that whoever invented mahjong developed it from previously existing games, such as the card game known as “hanging horse” (“Ma Diao” in pinyin) which was popular in China during the Ming dynasty more than a century before. A similarity of the Ma Diao cards to mahjong tiles, as well as similar rules, supports this claim of origin.

Whatever its beginning, by the end of the nineteenth century mahjong was a well-established game in China. Foreigners living in Shanghai began playing mahjong, and in the early twentieth century exported it back to their home countries. The popularity of mahjong continued to grow, and soon it became one of the hottest selling games around the world. Numerous companies began selling the game, many clubs of mahjong enthusiasts were formed, and endless variations to the rules were created.

In its country of origin, however, mahjong was about to suffer a setback. When the communists took over and created the People’s Republic of China in 1949, they outlawed the playing of mahjong. It wasn’t until the end of the Cultural Revolution that the playing of mahjong publically reappeared in China.

Nowadays, though, mahjong is keeping pace with the times. Hardcore players can buy mahjong tables that automatically shuffle and set up the tiles. Mahjong is ubiquitous on the Internet, with online competitions introducing the game to a whole new generation of players. And a version of solitaire based on mahjong tiles arrives pre-installed on many personal computers. So while the origin of mahjong may be obscured in darkness, its future is very bright.

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