The Kohinoor, sometimes spelled Koh-i-noor and Koh-i-Nur, is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing 105.6 carats (21.12 g). Its name means “Mountain of Light” in Persian. Currently, it is a piece of the British Crown Jewels. Currently, the diamond is mounted on Queen Elizabeth, the British Queen’s crown.

Origins

Sadly, there is no written record of Kohinoor’s genesis, yet there are legends.

Kollur Mine

Early traditions claim that the diamond was initially discovered by the Kakatiya empire in the Middle Ages at the Kollur Mine, located on the south bank of the Krishna River in present-day Andhra Pradesh, India. The Kollur Mines are a group of 13-foot-deep gravel-clay pits that are 4 metres (13 feet) deep, located on the south bank of the Krishna River in modern-day Andhra Pradesh, India.

The Kohinoor was the left eye of the goddess statue in the Bhadrakali Temple in Warangal. Thought to have been placed there by the Kakatiya dynasty, who considered the goddess Bhadrakali to be their primary deity.

Babur’s Journal

The 186-carat Koh-i-Noor is said to be similar in size to a “famous” diamond Babur, who established the Mughal Empire, wrote about.

His diary records that Alauddin Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate’s Khalji dynasty ravaged the southern Indian kingdoms in the beginning of the 14th century and stole it from the Kakatiyas.

In 1526, Babur received the diamond as payment for defeating Delhi and Agra at the Battle of Panipat. Later, it was handed on to the succeeding rulers.

There are several competing ideas as to who the item’s original owner was, and it is impossible to confirm these specifics regarding when or where it was discovered.

The Mughal Kohinoor

Abundance of Gems

The most priceless gemstones in ancient Indian history were regarded as diamonds. However, due to their overabundance throughout the Mughal Empire, diamonds lost their distinctiveness.

Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, the Grand Vizier to Akbar, observed the Mughal Treasury and reported that crimson spinels and Burmese rubies had evolved into the most sought-after jewels among the nobles.

The Persian new year’s celebration of Nowruz had developed into a period when individuals may progress in the wider bureaucracy in return for presenting gifts of jewelry and cash to the imperial family.

The Peacock Throne

When Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor and creator of the Taj Mahal, came to power in 1635, there were so many gems in the treasury that he created the magnificent Peacock Throne out of several of them.

The Throne is reported to have cost twice as much to build as the Taj Mahal. It was created to serve as his new throne in Delhi, his new capital.

One of the diamonds that were added to the peacocks on the throne was the Kohinoor. In an opulent chamber of the Red Fort in Delhi, the diamond was lying there as an eye on a peacock that was encircled by gems. It stayed there for a few years.

But things were about to change for both the diamond and the Mughal dynasties. Because of its ineffective leadership and opposition from the powerful Maratha empire, the Mughal empire was in serious decline.

The fall of the Mughals created space for a remote threat. Their frontiers had been breached by an invader. On his journey to Delhi was one of the most notorious looters in history.

The Persian Kohinoor

The Raid of Nader Shah

Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty, began launching attacks into Mughal territory in 1738 following the overthrow of the Safavid dynasty in Persia two years earlier.

Shortly after, he began an all-out invasion of India. This invasion force soon overran Delhi, where they slaughtered the inhabitants before beginning a systematic plunder of the wealth of the city and the Treasury of the Mughal Empire.

As soon as he entered the royal room, he noticed the diamond. Koh-I-Noor, which is Persian for “Mountain of Light,” is what he shouted when he first received the legendary stone.

More than 10,000 wagons of booty, including millions of rupees, numerous slaves, and a variety of other rare historical treasures, were taken away by Nader Shah along with the imperial Peacock Throne.

The Sikh soldiers were able to defeat him upon his return to Persia, liberating many slaves in the process and recovering some of his wealth. But because of the size of the theft, he suspended taxes in Persia for three years.

The Afghani Kohinoor

A Diamond in Afghanistan

The Kohinoor was passed down to Nadir Shah’s grandson after his death and the collapse of his empire in 1747.

The Afghan Empire’s founder, Ahmad Shah Durrani, was handed the diamond in 1751 as payment for his assistance.

Later, his own grandson Shuja Shah Durrani received it.

But it appeared that the Kohinoor was cursed.

Shah Shuja and the British formed an alliance in 1809 to aid in the defense against a potential Russian invasion of Afghanistan. After losing in Afghanistan, he was quickly overthrown and escaped to Lahore with the diamond.

The Punjabi Kohinoor

Atop a King’s Turban

In exchange for Shuja Shah’s protection, the king of Lahore would receive the diamond. Ranjit Singh was the new owner of the Kohinoor.

Ranjit had the diamond examined by Amritsar jewelers after having doubts about Shuja.  When the jeweler confirmed its legitimacy and referred to it as a precious stone, he awarded Shuja with a sizable reward.

Ranjit Singh rode an elephant in a procession with the diamond fastened to the front of his turban so that his fellow countrymen might see it. He brought it with him when he traveled and wore it as an armlet on big holidays like Diwali and Dusserah. To dignitaries, especially British commanders, he would display it.

Fort of Paranoia

When not in use, he stored the diamond in a very secure location at the Gobindgarh Fort. The diamond was always placed on a camel in a basket when it was to be transported, but great secrecy was maintained as to which camel carried it. There were 39 other camels in the convoy.

Only one man knew which camel carried the Kohinoor, His name was Beli Ram, Ranjit Singh’s Treasurer

Disputed at Death

As he was approaching death in 1839, Ranjit Singh started giving away his valuable possessions to religious institutions and designated his eldest son Kharak Singh as his heir.

Arguments over Kohinoor’s fate erupted since the King’s illness had taken his voice away, leaving him unable to speak save for gestures.

According to Bhai Gobind Ram, the head Brahmin of Ranjit Singh, the king left the Koh-i-Noor and other gems to the Jagannath Temple at Puri. He claimed that the king made motions that seemed to support this claim.

It was government property rather than Ranjit Singh’s personal property, according to Treasurer Beli Ram, who asserted that Kharak Singh the successor should take it instead.

After Ranjit Singh passed away, Beli Ram hid the diamond in his vaults instead of sending it to the shrine. 

A Cursed Successor

The new emperor Kharak Singh was deposed on October 8th, 1839, in a coup led by Dhian Singh, his prime minister. Later, Kharak Singh passed away in custody, and on November 5, 1840, his son and heir apparent Nau Nihal Singh mysteriously passed away.

The King of Jammu

The Koh-i-Noor was acquired by Gulab Singh, Raja of Jammu and brother of the prime minister. Gulabh singh stay and time at Lahore was short.

He had made an effort to protect the widowed empress during two days of fighting and shelling by Sher Singh and his troops at her fort at Lahore. In exchange for a cease-fire between Sher Singh and the deposed empress Chand Kaur, his brother Dhian Singh negotiated the transfer of the Kohinoor.

While Gulab Singh brought back from Lahore an abundance of riches and gemstones, the Kohinoor remained.

The Cursed Assassins

Sher Singh and Prime Minister Dhian Singh were both killed on September 15, 1843, during a coup that was directed by Ajit Singh Sandhawalia. The assassins were, however, put to death the next day after a countercoup headed by Dhian’s son Hira Singh. Hira Singh replaced his father as prime minister and crowned Duleep Singh, then five years old, as emperor.

The Koh-i-noor was now tied on the child emperor’s arm in the Lahore court.

Duleep Singh’s reign saw the start of the Anglo-Sikh wars, where Gulabh Singh chose to leave the Sikh Empire and become the first maharajah of Jammu and Kashmir.

End of the Sikh Empire

The treaty of Lahore had included a special clause just so that the Kohinoor would become the property of the Queen of England.

The Kingdom of Punjab was formally annexed to Company control on March 29, 1849, following the end of the Second Anglo-Sikh War. The Last Treaty of Lahore was then signed, officially transferring the Koh-i-Noor to Queen Victoria and the Maharaja’s other possessions to the company.

Article III of the agreement stated:

The gem called the Koh-i-Noor, which was taken from Shah Sooja-ool-moolk by Maharajah Ranjeet Singh, shall be surrendered by the Maharajah of Lahore to the Queen of England

Treaty Of Lahore, Article III

Tej Singh, a follower of Maharaja Gulab Singh, who had previously held the Koh-i-Noor and acquired Kashmir from the Sikh empire via treaty with Britain, served as the lead signatory of the treaty for an eleven-year-old Maharaja Duleep Singh.

East Indian Companies Kohinoor

Dalhousie’s Spoil of War

Dalhousie was the Governor-General in charge of ratifying this treaty. Even some of his British contemporaries criticised the way he assisted in the transit of the diamond. Although some argued the Sikh Empire should have given it to Queen Victoria as a gift, it is evident that Dalhousie regarded the stone as a spoil of war.

Duleep Singh was placed in the guardianship of Dr. John Login, a British surgeon. Duleep Singh moved to England some years later and spent the rest of his life in exile.

Dalhousie received the diamond from Duleep Singhs Caretaker Dr. Login on 6 April 1848. In the presence of members of the newly established Board of Administration for the affairs of Punjab. Most notably, President Henry Lawrence. Who according to legend left the Kohinoor in his pocket, and it was sent to the laundry. But luckily, the attendant who found it returned it to Henry.

They moved the diamond from Lahore to Mumbai.

Journey To England

The jewel was secured on February 1st in a little iron safe inside a red dispatch box, both sealed with red tape and a wax seal, and kept in Bombay Treasury while waiting for a steamer ship from China.

On 6 April, it traveled from Bombay aboard HMS Medea for England.

A cholera outbreak occurred on board the ship during its tough voyage while it was at Mauritius. The locals demanded its departure and threatened to attack if the ship didn’t leave. The ship survived a storm upon leaving and reached England approximately three months later.

It arrived on the 29^th of June in the English port of Plymouth. While the ship was emptied the Kohinoor remained until the ship reached Spithead another port town. The next morning it was taken by train to London and handed over to the chairman and deputy chairman of the East India Company.

Several days later, The East India Company deputy chairman officially delivered the Koh-i-Noor to Queen Victoria on July 3, 1850, at Buckingham Palace. The day was selected as it was the 250th anniversary of the East India Company.

The British Kohinoor

Exhibition

A year later in 1851, the British public had the opportunity to view the Koh-i-Noor at Hyde Park in London at The Great Exhibition. Large crowds were attracted by its enigmatic past and stated value of 1-2 million pounds.

A Diamonds Makeover

The royals were become disappointed with the appearance of the stone and believed it was dull. , it was decided by the husband of Queen Victoria,  Prince Albert, with the consent of the government, to polish the Koh-i-Noor.

Mozes Coster, one of the biggest and most well-known diamond merchants in the Netherlands, was hired for the job. He despatched Levie Benjamin Voorzanger, one of his most skilled artisans to London

A special mill was built specially for the job and the modification work began. It took 38 days and the weight of the Kohinoor went down 17 grams from 186 carats to 105 carats. The significant weight drop can be partially attributed to Voorzanger finding many defects, one of which was particularly large, that he felt were vital to remove.

The Guilt Behind the Shine

The young Maharaja Duleep Singh, the Koh-i-Noor’s last non-British owner, was reportedly speechless for several minutes after Queen Victoria showed him the re-cut diamond. The Kohinoor was set on a brooch to be worn by the queen. Victoria however started disliking wearing the Kohinoor she became uneasy with the way it was acquired.  

A crown Jewel

Queen Alexandra, the wife of King Edward VII, was crowned in 1902 with a crown set with the Koh-i-Noor after Queen Victoria’s passing.

In 1911, the diamond was placed on the crown of Queen Mary; in 1937, it was transferred to the crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

The older crowns have crystal duplicates of the diamonds put in them, and all of these crowns are on exhibit in the Jewel House at the Tower of London. Visitors can see how the Koh-i-Noor appeared when it was transported to the UK by viewing a glass replica of it. The “Vault” display at the Natural History Museum in London also features replicas of the diamond in this and its re-cut versions.

Dispute and future

The Koh-i-Noor has long been a source of international contention, with demands for its return from the UK made by India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan at various times.

The Kohinoor is still discussed today after so many generations. People of India and Pakistan both have asked for its return. Now even the Taliban is asking that it be returned to them as it was also a part of their history.

However, it rests in the Jewel House at the Tower of London. But that does not mean the tale of the Kohinoor is over. It has seen civilizations come and go, it has traveled through deserts, mountains, rivers, and various cities. It has sailed the seas and crossed oceans.

One thing is certain that is the sun has set on the British empire. The UK now faced a tough economic crisis, and nothing can be certain.

Will the Kohinoor move again? Where will it end up? That we cannot be sure about, but its tale will probably outlast our lifetimes.

As they say, diamonds are forever

Bibliography

Anand, A., Dalrymple, W. (2017). Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond. United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Davis, J. R. (1999). The Great Exhibition. Kiribati: Sutton.

Fanthorpe, P. (2009). Secrets of the World’s Undiscovered Treasures. Canada: Dundurn Press.

Goodlad, L. M. E. (2015). The Victorian Geopolitical Aesthetic: Realism, Sovereignty, and Transnational Experience. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Luxury in Global Perspective: Objects and Practices, 1600-2000. (2016). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Balfour, I. (2009). Famous Diamonds. United Kingdom: Antique Collectors’ Club.

Kurien, T. K. (1980). Geology and Mineral Resources of Andhra Pradesh. India: Geological Survey of India.

Keay, A. (2011). The Crown Jewels. United Kingdom: Thames & Hudson.

Lafont, J. M. (2002). Maharaja Ranjit Singh: lord of the five rivers. India: Oxford University Press.

Sir John Login and Duleep Singh : Login, Lena Campbell, Lady, 1820-1904 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/sirjohnloginand00logigoog