New Delhi: Britain is going to show the world’s most famous and precious ‘Kohinoor’ diamond as a ‘symbol of conquest’. It will be displayed in the Tower of London, which will be opened to the public in May this year. Let it be known that India still expresses its claim on the precious diamond Kohinoor. The Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), the organization that oversees the management of Britain’s palaces, said this week that the history of the Kohinoor will also be showcased in the exhibition.
King Charles III is due to be crowned in Britain in May this year. Meanwhile his wife Queen Consort Camilla Kohinoor will not wear the diamond-encrusted tiara. Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), the charity that preserves Britain’s palaces, says the new Jewel House exhibition will tell the story of the Kohinoor.
HRP says information about the history of the Kohinoor, embedded in the tiara of the Queen Mother, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, will be shared. The history of this Kohinoor will be conveyed through visual projections and objects. The history will be shared on how the Kohinoor came to Britain after emerging from the rule of the Mughal Empire, the Shahs of Iran, the Amirs of Afghanistan and the Sikh Maharajas.
Kollur mine yielded precious diamonds
Explain that Kohinoor means Mountain of Light in Persian. The history of this diamond goes back many centuries and it is believed to have been mined from the Sayam Kollur mines ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty. Later it passed through many rulers and was included in the treasury of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, but it passed into his possession a few years before Queen Victoria was made Empress of India. The diamond has been the center of attraction for coronations in Britain in the past. The diamond will be the center of attraction at the Tower of London following the coronation of King Charles II and his wife Camilla.
What is the history of Kohinoor?
- Kohinoor is the most famous and precious diamond in the world. It is believed that this diamond was found in a mine in Golconda, Andhra Pradesh in the 14th century. Its weight was 793 carats then. For many centuries it was considered the largest diamond in the world.
- However, over time, this diamond has been cut, causing it to become smaller. According to one report, Maharaja Bikramjit Singh of Gwalior kept all his possessions in Agra Fort during the Panipat War in 1526. Babur won the battle and captured the fort and the Kohinoor diamond also came to him. It was 186 carats then.
- It is said that in 1738 Nadir Shah, the ruler of Iran attacked the Mughal Sultanate and thus this diamond came to him. This diamond was given the name ‘Kohinoor’ by Nadir Shah. It means ‘Mountain of Light’.
- Nadir Shah took this diamond with him to Iran. Nadir Shah was assassinated in 1747. This is how the diamond came to his grandson Shah Rukh Mirza. Shah Rukh gave this diamond to his commander Ahmed Shah Abdali.
- Abdali went to Afghanistan with the diamond. When Abdali’s descendant Shuja Shah reached Lahore, the Kohinoor diamond was also with him. When Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab came to know about this, he took this diamond from Shuja Shah in 1813.
How did this diamond reach the British?
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh used to wear the Kohinoor diamond in his crown. He died in 1839. After him the diamond passed to his son Dalip Singh.
- In 1849, Britain defeated the Maharaja. A treaty was signed on 29 March 1849 in the Lahore Fort. Dalip Singh was only 10 years old at that time.
- This treaty was signed by Maharaja Duleep Singh. Under the agreement, the Kohinoor diamond was also to be given to the Queen of England.
- In 1850, the then Governor Lord Dalhousie first brought the Kohinoor from Lahore to Mumbai and from here it reached London.
- On July 3, 1850, the Kohinoor was presented to Queen Victoria of Britain. The diamond was recut and then reduced in weight to 108.93 carats. It then became part of the queen’s crown. Now it weighs 105.6 carats.
Can Kohinoor come to India sometime?
- After independence, India demanded the return of Kohinoor from Britain, but it was rejected. After this in 1953 once again India demanded Kohinoor from Britain and this time too this demand was rejected.
- In 2000, several MPs of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha signed a letter calling for the return of Kohinoor, saying it was illegally occupied. On that, Britain said that this is its legacy for 150 years.
- In July 2010, the then British Prime Minister David Cameron visited India. Meanwhile, in the matter of returning the diamond, he said, ‘If you let someone say yes, the British Museum will be empty.’
- In April 2016, the central government had told the Supreme Court that the Kohinoor diamond was neither stolen nor forcibly taken. It was handed over to the East India Company by Maharaja Duleep Singh. However, when the government’s reply was questioned, the Ministry of Culture said that the government is trying to bring back the diamond.
- At that time, the central government had told the Supreme Court that according to the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972, the Archaeological Survey of India could take up the issue of repatriation only of antiquities and valuables that had been illegally taken out of India.
- After the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September last year, when the demand to bring back Kohinoor was raised again, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, said that the government has answered this question in Parliament. We raise this issue with the UK Government from time to time and we are trying to resolve this issue.
Pakistan and Afghanistan also claim?
- Pakistan and Afghanistan have also laid claim to the Kohinoor diamond. In 1976, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, claimed Kohinoor.
- Similarly, in the year 2000, when the Taliban was ruling Afghanistan, it also claimed Kohinoor. The Taliban said that the diamond was from Afghanistan and from there it went to India and from India to Britain.