The Rajah of the Peacock Throne and the Rajah of the Golden Throne are fighting over each other's kingdom. There are two different ways to win. First, the player's Rajah can capture his opponent's Rajah. Second, one of the player's pieces can seize (occupy) his opponent's Throne. The Thrones are located in the corner squares, where each respective Rajah begins the game.

A piece can only capture another piece of equal or lesser rank. The pieces are ranked: 1. Rajah, 2. Generals (mounted on elephants), 3. Cavaliers, and 4. Soldiers.