The meaning of Kohinoor is the Mountain of Light, and it is one of the most precious diamonds in history. Today it is a part of the British crown and is placed in London Tower. There is a myth that no man can wear Kohinoor and if he does, then it will bring a curse on him. It is said that Kohinoor can only be worn by a woman and she should be a member of the royal family. In this context, we will get to learn more about the Kohinoor and will dive deep into the lives of people who inherit it forcefully.
The History of KOHINOOR:
In 1306
At that time, the diamond was not yet christened Kohinoor. According to historians, it is mentioned for the first time in some historical texts as belonging to the Rajas of Malwa. The exact history of the Kohinoor is lost in the mists of antiquity. It belonged to the ruler of the ancient oriental kingdom as far back as 3000 BC. This information is found in the records by seismologist Harsh K Gupta, who says that the diamond was mined from Guntur in present-day Andhra Pradesh.
In 1526:
After all that, the second mentioned was in the stonecrops up in the Baburnama. It is a work of the Mughal ruler Babur, who acquired the diamond after defeating Ibrahim Lodhi. He was the last of the Delhi Sultans in the first battle of Panipat. Historian NB Sen has written that the diamond was passed to Shah Jahan and then Aurangzeb. All this was before the coming possession of his grandson, Sultan Muhamad.
In 1739:
The general of Persia, Nadir Shah, defeated Mahammad to conquer Delhi and the diamond in 1739. After that, he gave me the name Kohinoor. He takes Kohinoor back to Persia, where he was assassinated eight years later. Then the diamond passes into the possession of one of his generals, Ahmad Shah Durrani. The Kohinoor stayed for the next generation, written by Sen in his book “The Glorious History of Kohinoor”. It is one of the most precious and brightest jewels in the British Crown.
In 1813:
The diamond returned to India when Shah Shuja Durrani, a descendant of Ahmad Shah, escaped from his quarreling brothers in Kabul. He brings the Kohinoor to Punjab and gives it to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In return for being granted asylum, he is the founder of the Sikh empire. After a long time, Lord Dalhousie wrote in a letter that Shah Shuja’s wife, Wufa Begum, described the rock by saying, “If a strong man were to throw four stones, one north, one south, one east, one west, and a fifth stone up into the air, and if the space between them were to be filled with gold, all would not equal the value of the Kohinoor.”
1839-1843:
Maharaja Ranjit Singh died and left the diamond in the possession of his sons in the kingdom. However, his three older sons were killed in quick succession. But in 1843, a 5-year-old Duleep Singh took the throne of the last Indian sovereign who owned the Kohinoor. All these precise details are provided in the book written by Sen.
1849:
The Britishers win the second Anglo-Sikh war and also annex the Sikh kingdom of Punjab under the Treaty of Lahore. An 11-year-old Duleep Singh signs over the kingdom and the diamond to them before stepping down from his throne. Article III of the treaty states that the gen called the Kohinoor, which was taken from the Shah Sooja-ool-moolk by Maharaja Runjeet Singh, will be surrendered by the Maharajah of Lahore to the Queen of England.
1852:
The diamond was taken by the Britishers to England and showcased to the public. However, Queen Victoria’s husband and Prince Albert were disappointed with the uncut appearance of the Kohinoor. So they sent it to be polished and made more beautiful by the experts. The final product was prepared in 38 days and it shaved off the significant portions of the stone by reducing its weight by 42%. From 186 carats to its current 105.6 carats. By bearing all the myths of the stone, Queen Victoria later asks in the will that the Kohinoor will only be worn by a female queen. The stone was added to the crown of the Queen for her successors and it was stowed away in the Tower of London, where it has been ever since.
Ever Since:
As we got to know, four countries are claiming their ownership of diamonds India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Britain. The UK has maintained its ownership over the gem till now. While Indian groups tried many times to return to India. In 2015, British historian Andrew Roberts said, “Those who are involved in the ludicrous case should recognize that the British Crown Jewels is precisely the right place for the Kohinoor diamond to reside.” It was in grateful recognition of over three centuries of British involvement in India and it led to the modernization, development, protection, agrarian advance, linguistic unification, and ultimately the democratization of the sub-continent.
Who will wear Kohinoor?
The Kohinoor diamond is currently in the platinum crown and it was worn by Queen Elizabeth II during her reign as monarch. As we all know, he passed away, and so did King Charles and his queen. The wife of King Charles III’s wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, will be the next Queen and she will wear Kohinoor.
