Final answer:
The game, possibly shaped by British expatriate officers in British India during the 1870s, reflects British cultural practices amidst the broader context of imperial governance and the socio-cultural environment of the time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The game mentioned, while not explicitly identified in the question, appears to be rooted in the social and cultural milieu of British India in the 1870s, an era corresponding with the high tide of British imperialism. Having established a broad administrative and military presence, the British layered their leisure activities over the societal structures of the territories they controlled. These pastimes, potentially including sports and games, were an overlay of British culture that sought to bring familiar comforts to the colonial officers stationed far from home. Expatriate officers in British India indeed popularized various activities that often combined local and British elements, reflecting the interplay between the colonizers and the colonized.
Typically, these games and sports involved a substantial component of social interaction and served as a means for consolidating the British expatriate community, offering a semblance of normalcy against the backdrop of imperial governance. It is highly plausible that a game developed among British expatriates, which then gained popularity by the 1870s as an imported facet of British cultural practice. The military and administrative officers leveraged such activities to forge bonds, assert their identities, and create a sense of belonging amidst the vastness of India under the British Raj.