History Of Mah Jongg

The history of Mah Jongg, also more commonly known as Mahjong, is rich in theories and myths as to its origins. Mah Jongg is a tile game that originated in China and is typically played with 4 players. The game has been adapted over the years to fit the needs of its players and is now available for solo play, both in table format and online.

One myth claims that Mah Jongg was created by Confucius around 500 BC. While the name Mahjong originated from a fondness that Confucius had for birds, there is no evidence that Confucius had any hand in creating the game itself. There is actually no record of Mah Jongg at all until the 19th century during the Taiping Dynasty.

There is another theory that suggests Mah Jongg was created by soldiers during the Taiping Dynasty in order to pass the time at their posts. The game Mah Jongg is thought to be a variation on a Chinese card game called Madiao.

In 1922, Mah Jongg was brought to America by Joseph P. Babcock. He had learned to play the game while living in China. In order to make the game more appealing to those in the United States, Babcock wrote a book entitled "Rules of Mah-Jongg", which greatly simplified the Chinese rules. 

In 1949, the new Communist government of China banned Mah Jongg because it was considered gambling. However, it was revived in China again after the Cultural Revolution and is still very popular in Asia and all over the world.

References: 

http://www.tradgames.org.uk/games/Mah-Jong.htm
http://www.mahjong.net/history-of-mahjong/