Indians sue UK Queen for return of 'stolen' £100m Kohinoor diamond
Emma Henderson | The Independent | Nov 9, 2015, 01.00 PM IST
HIGHLIGHTS
• The Kohinoor was once the largest cut diamond in the world.
• The Kohinoor means "mountain of light".
• The 105-carat stone was presented to Queen Victoria during the British Raj.
The Kohinoor was in the crown worn by the Queen at the coronation of King George VI in 1937.
LONDON: It was once the world's largest-known diamond, is worth a reported £100m and is currently part of Britain's crown jewels.
But India wants it back.
Bollywood stars and businessmen have united to instruct lawyers to begin legal proceedings in London's High Court to return the Kohinoor diamond.
The diamond was in the crown worn by the Queen Mother at the coronation of her husband King George VI in 1937 and again at Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953.
The group, which has called itself the "Mountain of Light" after the translation of the stone's name, say that the 105-carat diamond was stolen from its true home in India and are demanding that the UK government returns it.
The stone is "one of the many artefacts taken from India under dubious circumstances", according to David de Souza from the Indian leisure group Tito's.
Souza claims the British colonisation of India had stolen wealth and "destroyed the country's psyche".
The jewel was given to the reigning Queen of the time by the last ruler of the Sikhs, Duleep Singh, after the British annexe of the Punjab.
Bollywood star Bhumicka Singh, also part of the group, said: "The Kohinoor is not just a 105-carat stone, but part of our history and culture and should undoubtedly be returned."
British Lawyers instructed by the "Mountain of Light" group to return the stone, said they would base their case on the Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act, which gives national institutions in the UK the power to return stolen art.
Satish Jakhu, of Birmingham-based law firm Rubric Lois King, said they would make their claim under the common law doctrine of "trespass to goods", arguing that the government had stolen the diamond. He added that they would be taking their case to the International Court of Justice.
Historian Andrew Roberts told the Mail on Sunday: "Those involved in this ludicrous case should recognise that the British Crown Jewels is precisely the right place for the Kohinoor diamond to reside, in grateful recognition for over three centuries of British involvement in India, which led to the modernisation, development, protection, agrarian advance, linguistic unification and ultimately the democratisation of the sub-continent."
The disagreement of ownership draws parallels to the case of the Elgin Marbles. The ancient sculpture is currently held at the British Museum, which Greece wants returned.
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According to legend, the gem can only be worn by God or women, and whoever wears the jewel will become extremely powerful, but if a man wears it, he will meet an unfortunate end.
The jewel was also in the crowns of Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary. It remains in the Queen Mother's crown, which sat atop her coffin at her funeral in 2002.
For other uses, see Kohinoor (disambiguation). ... Today the diamond is a part of the Crown of Queen Elizabeth (see British Crown Jewels). ... History[edit].
The Kohinoor Diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in the world. The Kohinoor diamond was first mentioned in 1306 when it was taken from a Rajah of Malwa, whose family had held the diamond for centuries. It was described as weighing 186 carats and was an oval cut white diamond - the shape and size of a small hen's egg. The Kohinoor diamond belonged to various Indian and Persian rulers but it became part of the Crown Jewels of England at the time that Queen Victoria was proclaimed empress of India. The Kohinoor was re-cut at this time and now weighs 108.93 carats and is kept in the Tower of London .
Meaning of the Kohinoor Diamond
The Kohinoor (Koh-i-Noor) originated from India in Golconda at the Kollur mine and was specifically mined from the *Rayalaseema diamond mine (meaning *Land of Stones) during the rule of the Kakatiya dynasty. The Kohinoor was then passed from one ruling dynasty to the next. The original name of the diamond was ‘Samantik Mani’ ( Prince and leader among diamonds). In 1739 Nadir Shah, the King of Persia, invaded India and was said to refer to the diamond as the "Mountain of Light". The Persian-Arabic words for "Mountain of Light" were Koh-i-Noor. The magnificence of the diamond and its value symbolized the power of an Empire. It was said that "He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes." Possession of the Kohinoor led to murder, torture, mutilation and treachery and stories of the Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond...
The curse of the Kohinoor Diamond
The Curse of Kohinoor Diamond dates back to a Hindu text from the time of the first authenticated appearance of the diamond in 1306. The Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond reads: "He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God, or a woman, can wear it with impunity."
The history and lives of the rulers who owned the Koh-i-Noor diamond were filled with violence, murders, mutilations, torture and treachery. Whether or not people believe in the Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond, the history of the stone is undeniable - and the threat of the Koh-i-Noor curse is enough to make people cautious. The British Royal family were obviously aware of the Curse of the Kohinoor and from the reign of Queen Victoria, when the Kohinoor diamond came into their possession, it has always gone to the wife of the male heir to the British throne. The History Timeline details the story of the Kohinoor diamond.
History of the Dohinoor Diamond
Myths and legends surround the stone. It was of incredible value and described by one of its owners, the Emperor Babur, the Great Mogul, as "Worth the value of one day's food for all the people in the world". The men who fought for it, and the Kingdoms and great Empires that were won and lost, produced many stories of ill-luck that plagued the owners and became part of the history of the Kohinoor diamond.
The History Timeline of the Kohinoor Diamond
The following timeline & history of the Kohinoor details important historical events and dates:
1200 - 1300's There were many dynasties who owned the Kohinoor diamond including the Slave dynasty (1206-90), the Khilji dynasty (1290-1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1413), the Sayyid dynasty (1414-51), and the Lodi dynasty (1451-1526)These were all brief reigns ending with war and violence 1306 In 1306 the Rajah of Malwa was forced to give the diamond to the rulers of the Kakatiya Empire
1323 Soon after, in 1323, the Kakatiya Empire fell after a rule stretching from 1083 to 1323. The diamond was taken by Muhammad bin Tughluq who became the Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351
1323 - 1526 The diamond came into the possession of the Delhi Sultanate which consisted of many Muslim dynasties that ruled in India to 1526. During the Delhi Sultanate Muslim armies consisting of Mongol, Turkic, Persian, and Afghan warriors invaded India
1526 In 1526 the Kohinoor Diamond passed to the Mughal Empire when the Timurid Prince Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans, at the First Battle of Panipat. Mughal is the Persian word for Mongol Babur mentions in his memoirs, the Baburnama, that the diamond had belonged to an un-named Rajah of Malwa The Mughal Empire ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for two hundred years and the Kohinoor passed from one Mughal Emperor to the next. Violence and bloodshed followed these years often marked by the sons of the Emperors rebelling and overtaking their fathers The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592 – 1666), who was famous for building the Taj Mahal, had the Kohinoor Diamond placed into his ornate Peacock Throne
1639 The Koh-i-Noor changed ownership several more times until the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan took the throne. In 1639 a struggle for the Empire started between his four sons - Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Baksh when brother killed brother. Shah Shuja executed his brother Dara Shikoh and in then 1658 Aurangzeb defeated Shuja and Shuja who was tortured to death together with all his family
1665 In 1665 Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605 – 1689), French traveller and pioneer of jewelry and diamond trade with India, recorded his experiences in which he describes a great Mughal diamond said to be the biggest in the world. It was called the "Great Mogul" by Tavernier
1739 In 1739 the Persian King Nadir Shah invaded the Mughal Empire defeating their Emperor and stole the great Koh-i-Noor diamond (Nadir Shah is credited with giving the diamond the name it is known by today). The Koh-i-Noor Diamond was taken to Persia
1747 In 1747 the empire of Nadir Shah quickly disintegrated after he was assassinated - the Curse of the Kohinoor strikes again? After Nadir Shah's assassination, the diamond passed to his successors, each were dethroned and ritually blinded (Blinding was used to render an enemy powerless and make him a burden on his community.)
1800 1800 - Ranjit Singh took the Empire and possession of the Kohinoor diamond. Rajah Ranjit Singh died in 1839 and his successors lacked his bravery and vision The Sikh kingdom became weak and the British conquered India which became part of the British Empire and the British Raj or rule gained control of India from 1858 - 1947 The British Governor-General of India, Lord Dalhousie, was responsible for the British acquiring the Koh-i-Noor
1851 1851 - Dalhousie arranged that the Kohinoor diamond should be presented by Ranjit Singh's successor, Duleep Singh, to Queen Victoria, the Empress of India
1851 1851 - The Great Exhibition was staged in Hyde Park in London when the Koh-i-Noor was put on view to the British public
1852 In 1852 Prince Albert ordered that the Koh-i-Noor diamond to be re-cut from 186 carats to its current 105 carats thus increasing its brilliance. The Koh-i-Noor diamond was mounted in a tiara with more than two thousand other diamonds The Koh-i-Noor diamond was then used as the centre piece of the crowns of the Queen consorts to the British Kings. The Queen Consorts Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary wore the crowns
1936 In 1936, the stone was set into the crown of the wife of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother), wife of King George VI The British Royal family were obviously aware of the Curse of the Kohinoor - "He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God, or a woman, can wear it with impunity." And from the reign of Queen Victoria the Kohinoor diamond has always gone to the wife of the male heir to the British throne
The above history timeline of the Kohinoor diamond details important historical events and dates and the legends and myths that surround the curse of the Koh-i-Noor.
The Kohinoor Diamond
The following timeline & history of the Kohinoor details important historical events and dates. Fascinating information about the history of the Kohinoor stone providing comprehensive facts, information and timeline about the history of the infamous Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Journey to England :
The final owner was Maharaja Duleep Singh, son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in the backdrop of the two Sikh Wars leading to the annexation of the Punjab by the British. The hoisting of British flag was on March 29th, 1849 Lahore where Punjab was formally proclaimed a part of the British Empire in India. One of the terms of the Treaty of Lahore was:- “The gem called the Koh-i-noor which was taken from Shah Shuja-ul-Mulk by Maharajah Ranjit Singh shall be surrendered by the Maharajah of Lahore to the Queen of England.” Dr Sir John Login was entrusted with two charges: to take the Koh-i-noor out of the Toshakhana (the jewel house), and also the guards manship of the young Duleep Singh. It was formally handed over to the Punjab government of Sir Henry Lawrence (1806-1857), his younger brother John Lawrence (afterwards Lord Lawrence, the man who in February of 1859 would break ground on the future Lahore railroad station), and C.C. Mausel.
[Maharaja Duleep Singh]
The Koh-i-noor sailed from Bombay in H.M.S. Medea. It was put in an iron box and kept in a dispatch box and deposited in the Government Treasury. For security reasons, this piece of news was suppressed, even among officers of the Treasury – and withheld from Commander Lockyer, the ship’s captain. HMS Medea’s voyage turned out to be a perilous one – cholera broke out on board in Mauritius and the local people demanded its departure. They asked their governor to open fire and destroy the vessel if it did not respond. After leaving Mauritius, a severe gale hit the vessel that lasted for about twelve hours. They reached Plymouth, England, where the passengers and the mail were unloaded, but not the Koh-i-noor, which was forwarded to Portsmouth. From there, the two officers took the diamond to the East India House, handing it over to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the company. The Koh-i-Noor left the shores of India on April 6, 1850, and on reaching London on July 2, 1850, it was handed over to the Board of Directors of the East India Company.
The Queen’s crown :
Prince Albert (Prince Consort) and Sebastian Garrard stated that the Koh-i-noor was badly cut, it is rose-not-brilliant-cut. It was decided to seek the advice of practical and experienced diamond cutters. A small steam engine was set up at Garrard’s shop, while two gentlemen, Messrs Coster, Mr. Voorzanger and Mr. Fedder, travelled to London to undertake the re-cutting of the diamond. The Koh-i-noor was embedded in lead, two weeks later, after examining the stone. Mitchell thought that it had lost nearly all its yellow colour and become much whiter. The re-cutting took 38 days and cost £8000 ($40,000). The final result was an oval brilliant diamond weighing 108.93 metric carats, which meant a loss of weight of just under 43 per cent. Its was now in stellar brilliant-cut, possessing the regular 33 facets, including the table, while the pavilion has eight more facets than the regular 25 bringing the total number of facets to 66.
In 1853, it was mounted on a magnificent tiara for the Queen, which contained more than two thousand diamonds. Five years later, Queen Victoria ordered a new regal circlet for the diamond. In 1911, Garrards made a new crown that Queen Mary wore for the coronation – it contained diamonds, among them the Koh-i-noor. In 1937, this was transferred to the crown made for Queen Elizabeththe Queen Mother, based on Queen Victoria’s regal circlet and is set in a Maltese Cross at the front of the crown.
Who’s diamond is it, anyways ?
The 20th century saw a war of words over Koh-i-noor and its rightful ownership. In 1947, the government of India asked for the return of the diamond. Also, the Congress Ministry which ruled Orissa staked claim to the stone, saying it belonged to the Lord Jagannath. Ranjit Singh’s treasurer mentioned that it was the property of their estate. Pakistan’s claim to the diamond was disputed by India. Shortly thereafter, a major newspaper in Teheran stated that the gem should to be returned to Iran.
Sir Olaf has pointed out that the Koh-i-noor had been in Mogul possession in Delhi for 213 years, in Afghan possession in Kandahar and Kabul for 66 years and in British possession for 127 years. Historically, it maybe difficult to pass judgement on the validity of the various claims, but on the other hand, from a gemological aspect, as a paper report said, the Indian claim is the most valid because it was in that country that it was mined.
Koh-i-noor other name of a ‘deadly curse’ :
It is widely believed, British kings possessed ‘Koh-i-noor’ without knowing how to use properly, therefore it became a mixture, more of a curse than a blessing. The history of this jewel speaks itself, the British Empire which had once expanded throughout the world ever shining like the Sun, is now restricted to a fixed territory.
This jewel is slow, belongs to Saturn, a slow moving planet, and hence affects the possessor cautiously rather than quickly. Normally it takes several years to start its effect between 10 and 25 years, it gives luck only to those who know its procedure to keep it purified.
Otherwise, it forces the possessor to dispossess his or her territory and to disturb home peace. It is equally less lucky for the queens, they are to dispossess many valuables and land to ward off its evil effects, or face some tragedy.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh got this jewel in 1813 and it affected him after 25 years and he suffered from a paralyzed attack in 1839 and died in the same year. In 1849, exactly after 10 years, the British forces toppled his kingdom, which was controlled by members of his family. Further, all of Duleep Singh’s eight children died childless.
The effect of Koh-i-noor makes females or queens more possessive, self centered and self-seeking, forcing them to lose some territory, reputation and brings unhappiness at home, breaks home and ultimately may end the monarchy as per some occult reading of this Gem.
Great Briton had to struggle hard to retain possession of the Falkland Islands also known in Spanish as the Islas Malvinas. They also had to surrender the colony of Hong Kong to China in 1997, faced the tragedy of Prince Diana in the same year, suffered reputation inIraq attack in 2003, by facing the wrath of their people, and then new marriage of Prince Charles with Camila in 2005 and uncertainty of future King of England.
Hence Koh-i-noor has turned out to be unlucky for the Queens and the Kings as universally believed unless they observe and maintain the purity of the diamond.
( Disclaimer : the above information has been gathered from number of articles on ‘Koh-i-noor’, some of the sources are stated below.)
In the meanwhile, taking advantage of internecine conflict among the Afghans, Ranjit Singh (who himself had been appointed Governor of Lahore by the Afghan ...
The Crown Jewels: The Queen's cursed diamond
AS BRITAIN is urged to return the fabled Koh-i-Noor gem to India, we reveal the story behind the precious stone and the other treasures that make up the Crown Jewels.
The Koh-i-Noor, set in the late Queen Mother's crown, and Queen Elizabeth []
The Koh-i-Noor
The 186-carat gem, whose name means Mountain of Light in Persian, was mined in India around 1100. It carries a curse lethal to male owners and “only God or a woman can wear it with impunity”.
After a blood-soaked history in which several of its male owners were violently dethroned, it came into the possession of the ruler of the Punjab, the so-called Lion of Lahore. His young son Duleep Singh lost the Punjab when it was annexed by the East India Company after the Anglo-Sikh Wars and the nine-year-old Maharajah was made to travel to London to present it to Queen Victoria during the Great Exhibition of 1851. It was eventually set into the Imperial State Crown.
Since 1911 it has been incorporated into crowns worn by the female consort, including the late Queen Mother, who wore it at the coronation of George VI in 1937 and her daughter’s coronation in 1953.
Both India and Pakistan have laid claim to the priceless jewel. The first request for its restoration came from Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1976.
The British prime minister of the day Jim Callaghan refused, replying: “I need not remind you of the various hands through which the stone has passed over the past two centuries, nor that explicit provision for its transfer to the British Crown was made in the peace treaty with the Maharajah of Lahore. I could not advise Her Majesty the Queen that it should be surrendered.”
In 2002 the Indian High Commissioner to London accused Britain of flaunting the spoils of empire when the Queen Mother’s crown was carried on her coffin. This week David Cameron said that it would not be returned to India either.
The Cullinan Diamond
The largest diamond ever found was discovered at a mine in the Transvaal, South Africa, in 1905. Weighing 3,106 carats (1.3lb), it was named after the mine’s chairman Thomas Cullinan. It was sent to England in the ordinary parcel post while a decoy was sent on a heavily guarded ship.
When a buyer could not be found it was purchased by the Transvaal government for £150,000 and presented to King Edward VII on his 66th birthday. It was then cut into nine major stones and 96 small brilliants.
The two largest were incorporated into the Crown Jewels. Cullinan I, the Star of Africa, is at the head of the Sovereign’s Sceptre. Cullinan II, the Second Star of Africa, is in the front band of the Imperial State Crown.Cullinan III and IV, known in the Royal Family as “the chips”, are part of a brooch in the Queen’s collection.
The Black Prince’s Ruby
The very large red stone at the front of the Imperial State Crown is not a ruby but a semi-precious balas or spinel. The stone was once owned by Don Pedro the Cruel, King of Castile (in present-day Spain). He gave it to Edward, Prince of Wales, known as the Black Prince.
The eldest son of King Edward III this great military leader defeated Don Pedro’s rival and half-brother Henry the Bastard in 1367, hence the gift. Henry V wore the jewel in his helmet at the Battle of Agincourt.
Queen Elizabeth’s Earrings
The four large drop-shaped pearls in the Imperial State Crown are believed to have been given to Catherine de Medici on her marriage to Henry II of France in 1533. She later gave them to her daughter-in-law Mary Queen of Scots. After Mary’s execution they were allegedly bought by her cousin and captor Elizabeth I. Because three are pierced they were wrongly thought to have been earrings.
The Stuart Sapphire
Set on the back of the Imperial State Crown this magnificent blue stone was reputedly smuggled from England by James II in 1688 when he fled to France during the Glorious Revolution. It passed to his son James Stuart, the “Old Pretender” to George IV when he was Prince Regent, and was set in Queen Victoria’s Crown in 1838.
A GLITTERING HISTORY:
On the seventh anniversary of King Charles II’s coronation Samuel Pepys took merrily lubricated guests on a short excursion from his home in the City of London.
“After dinner I carried them to the Tower and showed them all to be seen there,” the diarist wrote, “and among other things, the crown and sceptres and rich plate, which I myself never saw before and indeed is noble and I [was] mightily pleased with it.”
One attraction the party could not enjoy back in that spring evening of 1668 was the Koh-i-Noor, the magnificent Indian jewel that would be presented to Queen Victoria in the mid-19th century and which the Indian government would now like returned. Otherwise the finery probably looked as impressive as it does today.
Nearly two and a half million people visited the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London last year. Another 8,900 were there yesterday, patiently queueing – “we prefer to call it a ‘line of anticipation’,” says chief exhibitor Keith Hanson – to stand on the slow conveyor belts which give everyone a fair look at the glass cases.
Traditionally monarchs have crowns for everyday use but special ones for their coronation. The Crown Jewels are the regalia used in the ancient coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
The Imperial State Crown last saw the light of day a month or so ago at the State Opening of Parliament. But St Edward’s Crown, made for Charles II in 1661 and weighing nearly 5lb, is only used at the moment of crowning. It was last used for about 15 minutes in 1953.
Many of the Crown Jewels dating from the Anglo-Saxon period were lost by King John in a marshy area of The Wash in 1216. The replacement set were stolen from Westminster Abbey in an audacious heist in 1303. The robbers were put to a nasty death and some items were recovered.
After that they were held in the altogether more secure confines of the Tower – but even those defences proved inadequate when Charles I was executed in 1649 and England became a republic.
The “trifles” of monarchy were melted down and most of the treasures in their present form date from the restoration of Charles II.
But Hanson stresses that a strong thread of continuity remains. “When the crowns were melted down the jewels themselves were kept in the Treasury so we still have the Black Prince Ruby worn by Henry V at Agincourt,” he says. Neither does the melted-down gold seem to have been used for anything else: it was still in the Treasury vaults when the jewels were remade.
Some coronations were more extravagant than others. The blingiest monarch was flamboyant George IV, who described his ceremony as “gorgeous and extravagant”. With 12,314 diamonds on his crown he wasn’t kidding. His brother William IV came to the throne determined to cut costs.
He held a so-called “penny coronation” to the consternation of his German consort Queen Adelaide, who had a crown made of gold and set with diamonds and coloured stones broken from personal royal jewellery at her own expense.
In 1838 a misunderstanding at the royal jewellers meant the Coronation Ring was too small for Queen Victoria and the Archbishop of Canterbury had to force it on to her finger. “I had the greatest difficulty to take it off again, which at last I did with great pain,” she wrote.
Gold crowns need to be remade every century or so because the metal weakens and the stones are in danger of falling out. That means the Imperial State Crown, made for the coronation of George VI in 1937 and adapted for the present queen’s ceremony 16 years later, should just about be good for the next coronation.
Meanwhile the Koh-i-Noor, only used for female crowns for fear of an ancient Indian curse was set in no fewer than four crowns after its arrival in Britain.
It was worn by the reigning Queen Victoria and consorts Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and the late Queen Mother.
Will the gem be removed in due course from the Queen Mother’s Crown to grace the locks of a putative Queen Camilla?
“It won’t need to be,” says Hanson tactfully. “The Queen Mother’s crown is platinum-based, which is much more stable than gold so it won’t need to be remade.”
The Kohinoor was in the crown worn by the Queen at the coronation of King George VI in 1937.
The Kohinoor DiamondThe following timeline & history of the Kohinoor details important historical events and dates. Fascinating information about the history of the Kohinoor stone providing comprehensive facts, information and timeline about the history of the infamous Koh-i-Noor diamond.
( Disclaimer : the above information has been gathered from number of articles on ‘Koh-i-noor’, some of the sources are stated below.)1. Daily Excelsior
Top Comment
This joke of a historian Andrew Roberts should also tell that the cost of this so-called social advance by the Brits in ... Read MoreBalakrishna Chadalawada