AInteresting reading! I may be in error but the Elephant in Hindu is in many ways what a Bishop was to Europe during the middle ages. Only a scholar could confirm the relation, if any...
“…Elephants are sacred animals to Hindus. It is the living incarnation of one of their most important gods: Ganesh, an elephant-headed deity who rides atop a tiny mouse.” [PBS Television] ”…In some parts of India Ganesha is depicted as celibate…” [Britannica]
[A Brief History of Indian Chess Pieces] “Chess was played in India from ancient time with the patronage from the Royals. The earlier name of chess is Chaturanga. (having four limbs or army) – Elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry.
The epic Kurukshetra war took only eighteen days after the treachery Kauravas used in Chaturanga played against Pandavas. The game became the craze in Persia. The Gaja (Elephant/ Haathi) is changed to Bishop. Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a checkered game board with 64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid.
[…]
A war elephant was an elephant trained for war and was used to charge the enemy, breaking their ranks. The elephant division of war elephants is known as elephantry. The Elephant is a piece used in Chinese Chess (Xiangqi ), and the game is called elephant game.
The elephant is an old world iconic war piece is found in many war games. Even now the elephants and chess boards are the favorites artistic pieces sought after by curio collectors.”
[World History] “…Ganesha (also Ganesa or Ganapati) is one of the most important gods in Hinduism. Ganesha is easily recognized with his elephant head and human body, representing the soul (atman) and the physical (maya). Ganesha is the patron of writers, travellers, students, and commerce, and he removes obstacles blocking new projects.”
