History Rook (chess)

illustration of siege tower, rook may intended represent.

in medieval shatranj, rook symbolized chariot. persian word rukh means chariot (davidson 1949:10), , corresponding pieces in original indian version chaturanga have ratha (meaning chariot ), while east asian chess games such xiangqi , shogi have names meaning chariot (車) same piece.

persian war chariots heavily armoured, carrying driver , @ least 1 ranged-weapon bearer, such archer. sides of chariot built resemble fortified stone work, giving impression of small, mobile buildings, causing terror on battlefield. however, in west rook universally represented crenellated turret. 1 possible explanation when game imported italy, persian rukh became italian word rocca, meaning fortress, , there spread in rest of europe. possible explanation rooks represent siege towers – piece called torre, meaning tower, in italian, portuguese, , spanish; tour in french; toren in dutch; turm in german; , torn in swedish. in hungarian bástya ( bastion ). possibility that, chess moved europe long after chariot warfare had been abandoned, different symbol needed represent rook s concept of feudal power (the chariot being method of warfare used elite, similar medieval knights), , such europeans adopted castle represent lord , feudal power, further supported (albeit later) name rook, marquess , named after nobleperson. finally, chariot represented silhouette, square 2 points above representing horse s heads, may have been seen resemble building arrowports medieval imagination. exception seen in british museum s collection of medieval lewis chess pieces in rooks appear stern warders or wild-eyed berserker warriors. rooks similar in appearance small castles, , result rook called castle (hooper & whyld 1992). usage common in past ( rook, or castle, next in power queen – howard staunton, 1847) today if ever used in chess literature or among players, except in expression castling .

in languages rook called ship: thai เรือ (reūa), armenian Նավակ (navak), russian ладья (ladya).

in bulgarian called cannon (Топ, romanised top).

in kannada known ಆನೆ (āāne), meaning elephant . unusual, term elephant in many other languages applied bishop.