Billiard and the Dhaka Nawab Family: Edited By Anas Khwaja

Billiard in Old Dhaka

Armenians introduced the sport of Billiard in Dhaka during the 18th

century. They started a club in the old part of the town where they played
billiard and other games. Due to the similarity of the cue ball to the eggs,
the native named the premise 'Anta Gharer Maidan' or “Field of the Egg
House”.

Picture:Bahadur Shah park

Inspired by the Billiard club for Armenians located on the Antaghar Moidan (presently
Bahadur Shah Park) in Dhaka, the European civil servants established the Dhaka Club in
1851. It is to be mentioned here that the land of Dhaka Club was leased out from the
Dhaka Nawab Family.

Billiard and the Dhaka Nawab Family

Both Nawab Khwaja Abdul Ghani and Nawab Ashanullah were great patrons for sports
and billiard was no exception. They made sure that Ahsan Manzil palace- the residence
and the official court of the Dhaka Nawab family had a dedicated room for playing billiard.
The Billiard Room was on the north western side of the ground floor, adjacent to Darbar
Hall. The billiard room was a source of entertainment for the distinguished visitors, local
civil servants as well as the family members.

Picture:Billiard Room Ahsan Manzil

 At the invitation of Nawab Ahsanullah, professional level billiard
players such as Charley Hughs and fellow contemporary Joseph
Bennet played in the Ahsan Manzil. Professional British billiard
champion John Roberts Jr. was also invited to partake in these
games at the royal palace. John Roberts Junior discussed
these visits to Ahsan Manzil and his acquaintance with the
Dhaka Nawab’s in his memoir “Modern Billiards” (1910 Edition).

Picture: Nawab Khwaja Ahsanullah

Modern Billiards (1910 Edition) by John Roberts Junior.

JOHN ROBERTS THE YOUNGER: A SKETCH.

1st Tour: April 6 1876 - April 7 1877

John Roberts Junior left England for Australia on April 6th1876. As part of his tour he had
reached Bombay on the morning of the 24th January 1877, in the Peninsular and Oriental
Company's steamer Assam. He stayed in India for three weeks before reaching England
on April 7 1877. Nawab Ahsanullah must have watched him play and met him sometime in
January 24 to 1877 February 15 1877.

"Another incident of the tour was my taking an order from the Nawab of Dacca to fit him up
two tables and supply all appurtenances. This order came about in rather a curious way.
The Nawab on one occasion having expressed surprise that I played so well, I told him
that I could play much better if I had a good table to play on- in fact, with a good table and
appurtenances I could easily make breaks of 500. I am pretty sure that the Nawab did not
believe me, but he gave me the order above mentioned with a view of testing my
assertions when I next came out. The tables were duly fitted up, and I believe are still
there." (1)

2nd Tour: September 1878- October 1879

Nawab Ahsanullah invited John Robert Junior to visit Ahsan Manzil while he was playing
against Frenchman M. Eugene Courjon between January 4th and January 5th 1879 in
Chandernagore Calcutta. John Robert Junior accepted the invitation and came to Dhaka
with his wife and tour agent Mr. Breslauer. Nawab must have covered his remuneration
which was on average 450 rupees for one-day matches in those days.(1) At the end of the
trip among other gifts he received from the Nawab of Dacca was an elephant of silver
filigree work. (2)

"At this time I received an invitation from the Nawab of Dacca to his private mansion. An
amateur player of fairish ability was pitted against me there on January 14th (1879). We
played two games of 500 points up. I conceded 300 start, and was beaten by 266 points
the first time, but won the second by 47. The Nawab was a great admirer of the all-round
game, and so I confined my attention almost solely to that, making but slight effort to play
the 'spot' stroke. I may mention that the name of my opponent at Dacca was Vahid, but the
gentleman of the same name who has competed in amateur championships in this country
bears no relationship to him.

I must place it on record that both the Nawab Abdul Ghoni and his son the Nawab
Ahsunollah treated me with the greatest kindness. The younger, especially, I found to be a
capital fellow, and a good all-round sportsman to boot. I have not mentioned previously
that Mrs. Roberts accompanied me on this tour. At Dacca I received many presents from
Nawab Abdul Ghoni, who also gave Mrs. Roberts a very valuable cashmere shawl.

During the same month I visited Bengal. On the 23rd I played some games with amateurs.
One man I gave 200 points in 300 up, and won by 9, after which I played a couple of men
at the same time, allowing them half-way start in a game of 300 up. I did not catch them
until their score was 290 but I then ran out. Up to this time I had only been beaten twice
during the tour, but at the same time was not showing my best form. Some of the
newspapers noticed the fact, and commented upon it. There was a simple and an obvious
reason for the fact, however. My want of form was due partly to the fact that I was playing
on all sorts of tables, some of them very bad, and partly to the constant traveling”….

“In recording games against amateurs it is desirable to make it quite clear that in India the
standard of amateur play is much higher than is the case in this country. Not that we don't
possess as good an amateur player; that is not my meaning. I simply wish to convey that
amateurs as a body attain greater proficiency than is the case in England.”..

“Altogether my second visit to India proved very enjoyable. It was also highly
remunerative, and was one that I shall always recollect with pleasurable feelings." (1).

Amatuer Vahid (Wahed!) beat the world billiard champion by 266 points in the first game?
Who was he? This will remain a mystery like many unanswered question in history.
 Biography: John Roberts, Jr. (1847 –1919) was a dominant
professional player of English billiards. He was the world professional
billiard champion in the following years-1870, 1871, 1875-77 and in
1885. He was also a notable manufacturer of billiards cues and tables,
and promoter of the sport. In 1880, he left for Calcutta, where he set
up a billiard table factory. In 1885, Roberts sat at the meeting that
formed the Billiards Association, and helped to code a new set of rules
for the game of English billiards. Roberts set his highest ever break in
an exhibition at the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly. His 867 included many nursery cannons.
His stature within the game would never be repeated.

Biography: Charley Hughes was a fine exponent of billiards, and at that time a great rival
to Joseph Bennett (British Champion 1870, 1880-81). J. Bennett, in the early part of his
career, may thank the C. Hughes for much of his undoubtedly pretty style of play. When
Hughes left England, early in the year in 1869, on a series of voyages, the billiard world
suffered a great loss. He was at that period rapidly improving; in one of the last matches
he played with Roberts, senior, he concluded the game with a magnificent break of 269 off
the balls—a performance in those days of no light character. Hughes died in India about
1873, on his way to Calcutta after visiting the Nawab of Dacca. Hughes had made many
friends, but his promising career was cut off, and, like many others, he may be said to
have been killed with kindness. (3)

Year Date Winner Loser Points won by Time

1870Feb 11 W. Cook J. Roberts sen. 117 5h 0m
" Apr 14 J. Roberts jnr W. Cook 478 3h 4m
" May 30 J. Roberts jnr A. Bowles 246 4h 10m
" Nov 28 Jos. Bennett J. Roberts jnr 95 4h 45m
1871Jan 30 J. Roberts Jnr Jos. Bennett 363 3h 23m
" May 25 W. Cook J. Roberts jnr 15 3h 50m
" Nov 21 W. Cook Jos. Bennett 58 4h 23m
1872Mar 4 W. Cook J. Roberts jnr 201 3h 27m
1874Feb 24 W. Cook J. Roberts jnr 216 3h 10m
1875May 24 J. Roberts jnr W. Cook 163 3h 42m
" Dec 20 J. Roberts jnr W. Cook 135 3h 35m
1876 April 06-April 06 1877 1st of 11 visits to India
1877May 28 J. Roberts jnr W. Cook 223 3h 18m
1878September 2nd visit to India
1880Nov 8 Jos. Bennett W. Cook 51 4h 8m
1881Jan 12-13 Jos. Bennett T. Taylor 90 4h 52m
1881Apr 13 Jos. Bennett F. Shorter (forfeited)
1884Dec J. Roberts jnr W. Cook (forfeited)
1885Mar 30,31 Apr 1 J. Roberts jnr W Cook. 92 11h 23m.
1885June 1-4 J. Roberts jnr Jos Bennett 1640 6h 10m.
Source:
1) Modern Billiards (1910 Edition) by John Roberts Jnr.
2) The Billiard Player : April 15th, 1921
3) Billiards by William Cook
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