Koh-i-Noor
The Koh-i-Noor or Kohinoor is a 108 carat diamond that originated in the subcontinent of India. The diamond was later given, under controversial circumstances, to Queen Victoria and currently is in a crown of the British royal family. "Koh-i-noor" is Persian and means "Mountain of Light".
Like all significant jewels, the Koh-i-Noor diamond has its share of legends. This particular stone is reputed to bring severe misfortune or death to any male who wears or owns it. It is, by legend, worth the amount of wealth generated around the whole world in seven days.
Origins and early history
Despite claims it is 5,000 years old, the first note mentioning it was when it was held by the Rajah of Malwa, India and then a succession of Mogul emperors from 1526 to 1739. After construction of the Tajmahal, the stone was mounted on the walls of the imperial chambers. When the Emperor Aurangazeb imprisoned his ailing father, Shah Jahan in the Taj Mahal, the son had the Koh-i-noor stationed against a window so that Shah Jahan could look at the stone and see the breathtaking North Indian countryside reflected in the stone. There it stayed until the invasion of Nadir Shah and the sacking of Agra and Delhi. Along with the Peacock Throne, he also carried off the Koh-i-noor to Persia in 1739. This is when the stone was named the Koh-i-noor. After the assassination of Nadir Shah in 1747 it apparently came into the hands of Ahmad Shah of Afghanistan. From here, it became part of the booty of Sikh warrior Ranjit Singh, obtained during a campaign in Afghanistan in the 19th century.
A controversial gift
Ranjit Singh later crowned himself as the ruler of Punjab and willed the Koh-i-noor to a Hindu temple in Orissa while on his deathbed. But after his death the British administrators failed to execute his will, and the diamond was given by Ranjit Singh's successor, Duleep Singh, to Queen Victoria in 1851. But Indian historians argue that Ranjit's successor was only a minor, and would not have given the diamond away without prompting from his British advisers.
The Crown Jewels
In 1852 under the supervision of Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, the diamond was cut from 186 to its current 108 carats, to increase its brilliance. It was mounted in a tiara with more than two thousand other diamonds.
In 1936 the stone was set into the crown of the new Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother) wife of King George VI. In 2002 the crown rested atop her coffin as she lay in state.
Campaign to return the Koh-i-noor to India
The government of India has repeatedly lobbied the British Government and the British monarchy for the return of this diamond, claiming legitimate ownership. As of 2004, the gem remains in the United Kingdom.
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