Ludo
Ludo (Latin for I play) is a cross and circle board game which derives from the old Indian national game Pachisi, which was imported to Britain in the 19th century.
History
Pachisi was invented in India where it was accepted as one of the national games [how is this done? by popular vote? a committee?]. The name derives from the Hindu word pachis, meaning twenty-five, which was the largest score one could achieve, because originally, Pachisi was not played with dice but with cowrie shells. Even Pachisi originates in an earlier version called Chaupar which was played centuries ago. One of the most famous people to play the game was the Mughal Emperor Akbal I (1542-1605). A construction of an outdoor board can still be seen at his court at Fatehpur Sikri. One of the differences in rules was that he used 16 women from his harem dressed in team-coloured saris as counters. During the British Raj, Pachisi was imported into Britain and its rules and board were simplified and adapted. Around 1863, the first Ludo games were produced in Britain and it turned out to be one of the most successful board games until today. Furthermore, Ludo was re-imported into India, where it is nowadays even more commonly played than the original Pachisi game.
Sources
Gribbin, John: Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite. Pachisi. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010. http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/boardgames/pachisi/home.html