Diamonds have always allured the royal hearts and to this history a worthy witness. The raw piece of strongly-knit carbon possesses a structure so strong letting aloof from the might of empires and emperors.

India was once the birthland of the world’s most precious diamonds, the most celebrated being the Kohinoor. Often exclaimed as the king of diamonds and the diamond of kings, Koh-i-noor is known to have changed the destinies of dynasties. The diamond was never bought or sold rather was exchanged under acts of loot, gratitude, and trickery.

THE HISTORY

The diamond traces its journey back to the Golconda mines of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh where it was first found under the rule of the Kakatiya dynasty in the late thirteenth century. It is said that the originally 793 carats colorless diamond served as the eye of the deity in a temple in Warangal. It was during the loot session of South that the diamond caught the attention of Malik Kafur, the General of Alauddin Khilji’s army, that the ‘Samantik Mani’ became an adorned possession of the Khilji dynasty. It further succeeded in the various Delhi Sultans.

The first verified mention of the diamond was found in Baburnama. Babur, in his autobiography, coins the term, ‘Diamond of Babur’ for the diamond he acquired after defeating Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans, in the Battle of Panipat, in 1526. From then on, the Diamond adorned the majesty of the Mughals.

It was during the reign of Muhammad Shah (Aurangzeb’s grandson) that the Emperor of Persia, Nadir Shah invaded Delhi and looted the treasury of the Mughal empire, the most eminent pieces being Shah Jahan’s Peacock throne and the Daria-e-Noor (Kohinoor’s sister diamond). But the Kohinoor was nowhere to be found. It is said that Muhammad Shah used to hide the diamond in his turban, a tip Nadir Shah gained early. So he tricked the Mughal Emperor into offering him both his turban and the dazzling beauty within. As soon as Nadir Shah touched the diamond, he exclaimed, “Koh-i-noor”, meaning the ‘Mountain of Light’. This exclamation gave the diamond a dynamic identity it long deserved.

As the famous saying goes, “He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or a Woman can wear it with impunity.” Nadir Shah was assassinated soon after he returned to Persia in 1747. Ahmad Shah Abdali, the General of his army, took over both the throne and the Kohinoor. But destiny had its own plans. After the death of Ahmad Shah Abdali, his sons landed in a fierce war for the throne. Consequently, Mahmud became the Emperor in 1809. One of the brother Shah Shuja managed to escape with his family from Kabul and headed for Punjab. Punjab was ruled by the great Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He was known, over the world, for his brave, generous, and dynamic personality. Punjab flourished under his reign. Hence it was the best spot for Shah Shuja and his family to take a protective shelter. Shah Shuja, in return for the asylum, offered the Kohinoor to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Happily enough, the diamond landed again in its birthland, safe and sparkling. When asked about the value of the diamond, Wafa Begum, Shah Shuja’s wife explained, “If you throw four stones as far as you can to the north, south, east, and west, and then throw the fifth stone as high up in the air as possible, and fill all of that area with gold, even that wouldn’t be enough to buy the Kohinoor.” Such was the worth of Kohinoor.

MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH AND AFTER

The aged Maharaja left for his heavenly abode leaving behind a young Duleep Singh to look after Punjab. Finding it an appropriate opportunity to capture Punjab, the British Raj, under Lord Dalhousie, went on the venture to seize the state. Successful enough to pin under the Royal Jack, Dalhousie, on March 29, 1849, forced the young Duleep Singh to sign the infamous Lahore Treaty. Article III of the Treaty read, ‘The gem called the Koh-i-noor, which was taken from Shah Sooja-ool-molk by Maharajah Runjeet Singh, shall be surrendered by the Maharajah of Lahore to the Queen of England’. Hence, India lost its most precious jewel to a cruel, treacherous, and undeserving Raj.

The Kohinoor was gifted to the Queen on July 3, 1850, on the 250th Anniversary of the East India Company. The diamond was first displayed to the common public of Britain in 1859 at the Great Exhibition, in London. Interestingly enough, both the royals and the commoners could not comprehend the beauty of Kohinoor and demanded an alteration in the cut. As The Times, dated 13 June 1857, wrote, ‘After all the work which has been made about that celebrated diamond our readers will be rather surprised to hear that many people find a difficulty in bringing themselves to believe, from its external appearance, that it is anything but a piece of glass.’ Prince Albert (Queen Victoria’s husband) ordered the re-polishing of Kohinoor. The re-fashioning resulted in an oval gem of 108.93 carats from an initial 186 carats.

This was not the first time that the Kohinoor suffered a drastic weight loss merely, to meet European standards. During Aurangzeb’s reign, a French traveler and gem connoisseur, Tavernier visited India. Aurangzeb offered him the task of re-cutting the diamond to enhance its brilliance only to finally deal with the half-witted nerd’s talent to reduce the originally 793-carat gem to a mere 186-carat.

MAHARAJA DULEEP SINGH

Post the seizure of Punjab, Maharaja Duleep Singh was treacherously separated from his mother Rani Jindan Kaur, and sent to England. Queen Victoria was so captivated by the beauty and courtesy of the young Maharaja that she got a painting of his made by one of the best painters in Britain, Winterhalter. History states that during one of the painting sessions, Duleep Singh got a chance to hold the Kohinoor. In his own subtle and sweet attitude, the Maharaja looked at it and finally returned it back to the Queen. The incident made headlines all over the world only to the rage of Lord Dalhousie.

QUEENS AND KOHINOOR

Considering the myth associated with Kohinoor, Queen Victoria willed the Kohinoor to be worn only by the women of the Royal family. Hence the diamond, since then, had adorned the crowns of Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth. The Kohinoor is now kept in the Tower of London to be viewed by the common public.

KOHINOOR: THE PRESENT

Many texts claim that Maharaja Ranjeet Singh willed the honours of Kohinoor to be transferred to The Jagannath Temple in Puri. Hence the post-independence claims of various Indian and Pakistani parties stand as a legal, verified upholder. Also as per the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting & Preventing the illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, the Government of India can claim its authority over Kohinoor.

A jewel of might and majesty, of power and responsibility, of grandeur and grit, Kohinoor still stands ever-dazzling, always brilliant, eyeing the destiny of the possessor.

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