... As it was already said, some types of ancient folk and sports games have acquired the status of official sports disciplines nowadays. Among them are, first of all, the goresh national wrestling and horse racing. By the way, the equestrian competitions of our ancestors resemble modern show jumping.
It's good that our ancestors, carefully transferring these games from generation to generation, have preserved them till our days as part of our great cultural heritage that has enriched the treasury of the world civilization. Among them are chovgan’, chilik’, ovlak hapdy’ and many others, which were described in the last material.
Chovgan.The details about this game, originated in ancient times, are presented in the book "Türkmen medeniýeti" by the President of Turkmenistan.It is not surprising that this fascinating game, the main players of which were horse riders on fast horses, was very popular among the Turkmens’ ancestors - the Parthians, who could ride horses since early childhood.
Therefore, thanks to the Parthian cavalry, our ancestors defeated well-trained troops led by the famous military leader Mark Crassus, whereupon Parthia won the confrontation against Rome for world domination.
The game chovgan’ also became popular in the countries of Central Asia, Asia Minor and Western Asia, the Caucasus and India in the Middle Ages. Later, in the fifties of the XIX century, the game on grass with a ball became widely known in European countries and America as polo.
Turkmens considered chovgan’ as the embodiment of courage and boldness, as it required strength, dexterity, composure and speed. In historical chronicles it is noted that such Turkmen sultans and commanders as Togrulbek, Gylych Arslan, Mahmyt bin Sobuktegin, Alaeddin Keikubat, Bayram Khan, Abdirahim participated in this game, showing an example of courage.
In order to determine the origins of chovgan’, we will address the terminology used by the ancient authors.
The Turkmen name çowgan’ comes from the stem word çöpegen’, which means "a game played with a stick". According to written sources, it was played both on horseback and on foot.
Our compatriot, the great scholar of the past, Mahmyt Kashgarli collected proverbs and sayings, poems of the Oguzes-Turkmens, Chigils and Yagma, information on folklore, history, geography and ethnography, then included the collected information into the book "Türki dilleriň diwany" (Dictionary of Turk languages). He provides in it such interesting information about the game chovgan’:
Öögen - a stick with a curved end, used when playing chovgan’.
Talas - a rope stretched along the edges of the field during the races, when playing chovgan’.
Tasal - the border drawn during the game of chovgan’. This word came from the word talas due to the rearrangement of sounds (metathesis).
Bandal - a stick with a rounded, spherical end. Children's game - children light it at night, scattering sparks. By resemblance to the stick chovgan’, they call it "ot bandal" - a fiery stick.
Taňuk - a piece of silk fabric that is handed over to someone who was able to throw the ball through a tight rope in the game chovgan’.
In the "Gorkut Ata" epos, there are also lines associated with this game.Another scientist (also our compatriot of Turkish origin) Mehmet Turkmen in his article "The deep look on the game çewgen / çögen çewgen polo from the past to the present in the Turkish collections", referring to the information from "Şanama", writes that in the 600s B.C., Turkmen and Persian players competed in the "chovgan", in which the Turkmens defeated.
Prominent scientist and thinker of the 8th-9th centuries, Abu Osman Jahyz, one of the first to create work on the eastern peoples, in his book "Fazailul-etrak" ("Advantages of Turkmens)" gives such information:
"We (Turkmens) have been taught from childhood to various subtleties and techniques - to drive the ball chovgan, to jump into a saddle.Such education is given for the purpose of sports training, combat training and mastery of martial art.
In youth, we are taught the game of "tabtap" (ball), the game "çowgan" designed for adults, to hit the target set on the ground and flying in the air, to show cunning and sharpness in ф battle, to thrust a spear into a hunting prey, to shoot a bird, to attack an enemy, to make it look like a retreat and unexpectedly attack an enemy".
In the section "Exposing the Sultan's campaign to Sinop and his conquests" of the first volume of his work "Seljuk türkmenleriniň taryhy" (the History of the Turkmen Seljuk Empire), the Turkmen historian of the 15th century, Yaziji oglu Ali, provides such information: "Sultan (Yzzeddin Keikovus) together with his close associates, the beks on his right and left arms went out once a week to a wide field, where they played ball and chovgan, practiced with a spear, chokmak and other weapons".
In the book "Söweş we batyrlyk ýörelgeleri" ("The Principles of Struggle and Courage") by Sherip Muhammet Mansur Sagyd - the court thinker of the Turkmen Sultan Kutbeddin Aybegi, who lived at the end of the 12th century, there are lines: "It is impossible that chowgan and archery were recognized as a trade, because they help to soften the body, stretch the joints, strengthen the muscles, increase visual acuity, stretch, straighten the legs and arms, make a person bold, strengthen his capabilities, give strength".
The word "çowgan" was also used in literature as a means of artistic expressiveness. Thus, Abu Bekr Tahrani in the manuscript "Akgoýunly türkmenleriniň taryhy" ("The History of Turkmens Akgoyunly" ("Kitaby Diýarberkriýe") more than 20 times used the word "çöwgen" in this meaning.
Medieval poets in their lyrical works of love and spiritual themes used these words as metaphors. Makhmyt Aryf Khyrav even created a special collection of poems called "Güý-çowgan". A photocopy of this manuscript is kept at the National Institute of Manuscripts of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan.
This poet, who lived during the reign of the shah of the Timurid Shahrukh ibn Teimir (1405-1447), in his work emphasizes that if a lover, due to some vital circumstances, as from a hogman's blow, is far from his lover, he, like a ball, will turn to her.
That is, if various trials and difficulties are sent to a truly loving person, he should not renounce his beloved.
As can be seen from the works of medieval Turkmen historians Ibn Tokmak, Yusup ibn Tangyrberdy and others, the Turkmen sultans paid special attention to the game "chovgan". They even had special bodyguards, who wore appropriate equipment. These servants were called "chovgendar".
Thus, the description of the game "chovgan" can be found in a number of ancient manuscripts, and on ancient miniatures. It is known that the first international tournament on this game took place in the 12th century in Baghdad, at that time revered as the cultural capital of the Islamic world.
Of course, modern polo is very different from its ancient fellow "chovgan". But the basis and essence of the game are the same. If, dozens of players from each side could take part in the matches of our distant ancestors, nowadays, in the classical version, there are two teams of four riders.
Since there were no balls or clubs in ancient times, our forefathers played with mutton heads and heavy batons, which could also serve as weapons.
this is the explanation why the great commander Alexander of Macedon believed that "chovgan" is the best training for combat cavalry.
At the crossroads of Asia and Europe - in Byzantium - the game "chovgan" manifested itself in the 3rd-4th centuries AD, gradually gaining popularity and eventually became fascinated with crowned people who, despite all precautions, even died during the game. As it was in 913 with the Emperor Alexander and 1238 with John I.
In England, "chovgan" appeared in the XII century, where it was brought by travelers who visited the eastern countries.
But the truly victorious march of this ancient game on our planet began with the XIX century, when, having acquired a new name and precise rules for the competitions, horse polo was included in the Summer Olympics programme, which was interrupted by the Second World War.
That's how in the depths of millennia the roots of many modern sports are lost.In some of them even today, despite significant transformations in time and different cultures, one can recognize the features of the Turkmen folk games.
Even, it would seem, in such an exotic game for Turkmens as golf.itresemnles "chilik-hekgal" game - stick-clubs, blows at accuracy and strength, prompt decision-making and many other things that were part of the practice of physical , spiritual and intellectual training of our ancestors.
In those early times, the game was not an idle leisure, but it provided food to the mind, allowed to exercise both the body and the mind, demanding not only physical skills, but also concentration of attention, accurate mental calculation, the adoption of the right strategy and tactics.
The combination of these components was brilliantly demonstrated today by the legendary sportsmen, who took part in the first golf tournament in our country.
The ancient school of education of courageous soldiers, defenders of the Motherland, brave generals and wise leaders, has not lost its value at the present time, moreover it has found a new perspective in the synthesis of sports disciplines, the revival of ancient martial arts.
These days they have carried an open peacekeeping character, which was vividly shown by the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in Ashgabat a month ago.