Mankala

Mankala is a term used chiefly in parts of central and eastern Africa to refer to a family of traditional board games that are also known by other names such as Mancala or Sugoroku. The word comes from the Swahili “mankala” meaning “to sow,” reflecting the sowing‑like movement of the game pieces. It is played on a wooden board with a series of pits or holes, usually arranged in two rows of six or more. Each player owns one row and has a store or “mancala” for captured seeds. A small number of seeds, often between 20 and 60 in total, are distributed at the start of the game by a simple “sowing” rule: a player picks up all seeds from a chosen pit and drops one seed in each successive pit around the board in a clockwise direction.

The rules vary widely from one cultural group to another. Some versions permit capturing of seeds, others forbid it and use the ready‑made balancing trick of “ends only” or “middle only” capture. Many versions include special jump or double‑move rules, and in a few variants the player has the option to play with a “shot” that moves a seed across multiple rows. The goal of most Mankala games is to collect the most seeds in the personal store at the end of play, or to empty one’s board pits.

Mankala games are deeply intertwined with social and educational practices. In many communities they are used to teach arithmetic, probability, and spatial awareness to children. They also feature in festival competitions, rites of passage, and inter‑village contests. The game has spread beyond its African origins; in the West it is known as a variant of Mancala and forms part of game history resources, such as childhood and folkboard game collections. The simplicity of the Mankala board and the strategic depth of its rules have enabled it to endure across generations and across continents.