A Quick History of Playing Cards

We all know what modern playing cards look like, right? They have numbers, face cards, and those unique symbols for the four suits. It is pretty awesome to consider that they have undergone several developments throughout the years from ancient times until today. The “how” of these card games emerged in the market today is not so mysterious.

While playing cards may appear pretty ordinary, history regards their making as full of lots of history and influences of different cultures. The modern 52-card deck with 4 suits and Jokers varied across times through countries. Let us see where playing cards originated and who created them along with the evolution of card games try out Khel7 online casino.

The Origin of Playing Cards

The story of how playing cards came to be is quite the topic of discussion. Some argue they were created in 9th century China during the Tang Dynasty, while others link them to tile games like dominos, mahjong, chess, or dice. There’s also speculation that they started out as “play money” for gambling before becoming key to the games we know. 

Who Invented Cards?

So, who really invented playing cards? Turns out that a lot of the things we love have a deep-rooted history spread across cultures. Most scholars believe they were originally devised by the Chinese before 1000 AD. Some say our paper cards of today are actually derived from the original tiles of Mahjong. You may have looked at Mahjong; if so, you might see how those patterned tiles could lead to our modern cards.

There is also a conjecture that the Mameluke empire from Egypt introduced playing cards into Europe, which had quite varied designs, such as goblets, coins, polo sticks, and swords, among others. However, the oldest mention of playing cards familiar to us is still found in Europe.

Playing Card Games: A Popular Pastime

Did you ever think that playing cards had a history as visual art? Maybe in your mind, they carried a rather—pardon the pun—sketchy reputation, probably dealing with gambling, but the fact is they were hand-painted and fully artistic. In the present day, collectors around the world look into finding rare sets that are more object of art and memory of time than a set of playing cards. Card games have been playing a role for centuries as a fun way of passing idle time. Let’s take a journey now, from the inception of regular playing cards to the transformation in India and worldwide.

The First Appearance of Playing Cards

There’s a lot of chatter among history buffs about the origins of playing cards. But we do have records showing cards’ve been used for hundreds of years. The earliest recorded mention of playing cards can be found in a German monk’s manuscript, written by Johannes in 1377. Cards became most popular in Europe with the adoption of the four suits of Swords, Clubs, Cups, and Coins. These are called “Latin Suits,” surviving in Italian and Spanish cards to this day.

The first playing cards were super decorative, always hand-painted, specifically the Court Cards. Italian cards had a normal King, Queen and Knave but Spanish cards didn’t have Queens or 10s, because of the game “Ombre.” Most packs had only 40 cards in their Spanish decks.

By the 1400s, they were all the rage in Europe, but the exact start is still a bit of a puzzle. Some people think they might have originated during the Tang dynasty in the 9th century, mainly for drinking games. If that’s right, we’re talking about cards that are over a millennium old! Can you believe it?

The European Evolution

The 14th century was the time more or less when more solid records began cropping up in Europe. One of the coolest finds was a manuscript from 1377, found in a Swiss monastery, written by some monk named Johannes. There is mention of playing cards and some of the games associated with them.

By the 1400s, we have references to the modern 52-card deck. This is also where the four suits and face cards come from, although the suits in Italy are swords, clubs, cups, and coins. It didn’t take these hand-painted cards long to travel throughout both Italy and Spain, and very soon other countries were making reproductions. For example, in Germany, the suits are acorns, leaves, hearts, and bells, but only 48 cards were used in their decks, excluding the 10s.

The French Influence

The deck was first greatly influenced by the French in the 15th century, who introduced suits of hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades with the king, queen, and knave cards. A very important contribution that the French did was the division of a deck into two red and two black suits; these were the court cards at that time. This ingenuity spawned quicker production using stencils and really revved things up.

Playing cards has an extremely long history, and to this day, there is a lot of controversy about when they were actually invented. In any case, we truly must be thankful for those pioneers hundreds of years ago. 

The American Effect

Back in the late 1800s, American shoppers were still all about products from England. Some folks even went so far as to slap “London” on their cards to boost sales. In 1835, Lewis I. Cohen changed the game for card manufacturing with his new press that could print in all four colors. This led to the creation of the New York Consolidated Company in 1871, which introduced corner indices to “Squeezers” cards.

By 1860, Americans had added Jokers to their decks as the “best-bower” for Euchre, and just 15 years later, they became wild cards in poker. Their innovations really helped streamline card design and production, with Russel Morgan & Co. leading the charge, now known as the United States Playing Card Company. This is the same company behind Bicycle Playing Cards, which has been a top player for over 130 years, also owning brands like Bee and Tally-Ho. 

Cards in Indian History

In Indian society, playing cards hold a special place. Games like Rummy and Teen Patti are perfect for bringing families together. The Mughal emperors introduced these card games to the subcontinent back in the 16th century, calling them ‘Ganjifa.’ 

These luxurious card sets were crafted from pricey materials to reflect the wealth of the players. They were originally round and featured detailed designs of animals and plants, but during the colonial period, they transformed into the familiar 52-card deck. While British card games became a hit with the upper class, traditional Indian games remained popular among the masses, showcasing the enduring legacy of card playing in India.

Play exciting card games on Khel7 live casino gaming platform to relish their magnificent history and cultural significance.