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Koh -i- noor

Koh-I-Noor diamond is at present in a crown of the British royal family. It is a 108 carat diamond; Koh-I-Noor is Persian and wealth "Mountain of Light". Koh-I-Noor diamonds are 5,000 years elderly, the first note mentioning it was when it was detained by the Rajah of Malawi, India and then a succession of Mogul emperors from 1527 to 1740. It was named Koh-I-Noor only after it came into the ownership of Nadir Shah of Persia in 1740. After the assassination of Nadir Shah in 1748 it apparently came into the hands of Ahmad Shah of Afghanistan.

This Koh-I-Noor was detained by British in 1849 from Duleep Singh during the invasion of the Punjab and obtainable it to Queen Victoria in 1852. In 1853 under the management of her consort, Prince Albert, it was cut from 187 to its current 108 carats to increase its brightness and it was mounted in a tiara with more than two thousand other diamonds.

However, the stone is surrounded with myth and legend, and accurate records are hard to verify. The first historically confirmable note mentioning the Kohinoor by an identifiable name dates from 1526 AD. Babur, the first Mughals emperor, mentions in his memoirs, the Baburnama and the stone had belonged to an un-named Rajah of Malawi in 1294. Apparently, this Rajah of Malawi was compelled to yield his prized possession to Ala ud din Khilji; it was then owned by a succession of dynasties that ruled the Delhi sultanate, finally coming into the possession of Babur himself in 1526, following his victory over the last ruler of that kingdom. However, the Baburnama was written c.1526-30 AD; Babur's source for this information is unknown, and he may have been recounting the hearsay of his day.

History

According to some sources, the Koh-I-Noor diamond was found in the Godavari River in central India 6,000 years ago. Tradition connected with it states that its owner will rule the world, but that to own it is dangerous for any but a woman. This could have been a delicate piece of flattery to Queen Victoria, who once owned the gem.
The authentic history of this jewel started in the 13 c. when it was reported to be in the possession of the rajas of Malawi. It later fell into the hands of Baber, who introduced the Mogul dynasty in 1526. During the next two centuries the diamond was one of the most high-quality items in the treasure of the Mogul emperors.

In 1939, Nadir Shah of Persia invaded India and all of the resources of the Moguls fell into his hands except the immense diamond. Nadir Shah was told by one of the emperor's harem women that the stone was concealed in the emperor's turban. The conqueror then invited the conquered to a feast and obtainable to exchange turbans as a gesticulation of friendship. The emperor had no choice but to agree. Later, in the privacy of his tent, Nadir Shah unrolled the turban, the gem fell out, and Nadir is supposed to have exclaimed "Koh-I-Noor", mountain of light.

The stone continued in the ownership of the Persian dynasty, even though many attempts were made to gain possession of it. The Persian king was assassinated, and his son Shah Rukh, was deposed. In an effort to find out the whereabouts of the diamond Shah Rukh´s eyes were put out, and boiling pitch was poured on his head, but he refused steadfastly to reveal its hiding place. Later, a Persian king fled with it to the Sikh court, and Ranjit Singh, the Lion of the Punjab, took the gem stone and wore it as a decoration. It was later placed in the Lahore treasury. After the Sikh wars, it was in use by the East India Company as part of the indemnity levied in 1849, and was subsequently presented to Queen Victoria at a sparkling levee marking the company's 255th anniversary.