Story Of Koh-i-Noor: The Invaluable Diamond That Was “Stolen” From India

Koh-i-Noor is priceless. Quite literally! It is the only diamond in the world which has never been sold or priced. The stone has passed through multiple hands and owners only through force, inheritance or deceit. One of the largest cut diamonds in the world, Koh-i-Noor has a history wrought in blood!

Here’s everything you need to know about one of the most popular diamonds in the world:

Where Did Koh-i-Noor Come From?

The oldest written record of this infamous diamond dates back to 1306 where it is mentioned that the diamond belong to the kings of Malwa (a portion of modern-day Madhya Pradesh). Experts claim that the diamond was actually found in that exact region on Earth. A book by seismologist Harsh K Gupta suggests that Koh-i-Noor was mined from Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur city.

While nothing can be said for certain, it makes sense given that India was the world’s only source of diamonds for centuries (until 1725 when some diamond mines were discovered in Brazil). Most of these diamonds found in India were alluvial meaning they could simply be sifted from rivers and the rulers back then recruited people to do it for them!

Records suggest that the Malwas lost Koh-i-Noor when the Delhi sultanate defeated them in 1323. From there on, it went from one hand to another and even left the country for a long period.

Historian William Dalrymple mentions in his book Kohinoor: The Story of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond that it then moved from “Mughal court to Persia to Afghanistan, from Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s durbar in Punjab to the Crown of the Queen of England.”

The Curse Of Koh-i-Noor

According to Hindu folklore, a warning against Koh-i-Noor suggests that “he who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or woman can wear it with impunity.”

This is fascinating and quite true as per the historical records. The British monarchy has held the diamond since 1849, a rare feat in the stone’s nasty history. Only women have worn it as part of their crown since then. Even recently, when King Charles III inherited the diamond after his mother’s death, it directly went to his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort of England!

Guess Koh-i-Noor likes living up to its “women’s best friend” reputation!

The Beauty Of Koh-i-Noor

This might shock you a little but Koh-i-Noor in its original form wasn’t a striking diamond per se and looked like a piece of glass. It got popular only ‘coz it began to symbolise power as it travelled from the hand of one monarch to another!

When Britishers first acquired the diamond, they had a hard time grasping why was it popular at all. This is when Koh-i-Noor, which was originally a 186-carat diamond, was cut and polished again. The new diamond and the Koh-i-Noor in its current form is a 108-carat stone. It was all done under the regime of Queen Victoria and the diamond was then set into her crown! The diamond is still in possession of the British royal family and is permanently on display in the Tower of London!

Was Koh-i-Noor Stolen From India?

Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the last Indian king to win Koh-i-Noor. Reports suggest that he left the diamond to the Sikh state. But other records suggest that he had committed Koh-i-Noor to Puri’s Jagannath Temple. However, things took a chaotic turn after his death. A long war followed and in the end, 10-year-old Duleep Singh was the only surviving heir who inherited the diamond.

The Sikh dynasty was in disarray and the Britishers saw it as a great opportunity. They made a “peace treaty” with Duleep in 1849 who wasn’t left with any option but to give up the diamond in exchange for protection and peace.

So, while Britishers might not have technically “stolen” the Koh-i-Noor, they definitely deceitfully looted it from India. This explains why many requests have been made from the country asking for the diamond back! Recently, when Queen Elizabeth passed it, Indians again broached the topic. However, it was made very clear that the diamond won’t be returned. That said, Camilia, the Queen consort did not wear it in her crown on the day of coronation to avoid more controversy! She chose to wear Queen Mary’s 1911 crown instead!

The question is—will Koh-i-Noor one day find its way back to India?

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