Kohinoor: 10 facts you may want to know
Controversy erupted after the Union Culture Ministry informed the Supreme Court on April 18 that Kohinoor was gifted by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to East India Company.
Kohinoor, the precious gemstone has been a bone of contention between India and Britain since former got Independence in 1947.
Controversy erupted after the Union Culture Ministry informed the Supreme Court on April 18 that Kohinoor was gifted by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to East India Company.
Here are some important facts you need to know about Kohinoor:
It is believed that Kohinoor got its present name from Persian monarch Nadir Shah who invaded the Mughal Empire in 1739. Later he took it to Persia. Originally it was named as ‘Samantik Mani’.
The British government got ownership of the world-famous jewel from the ruler of Punjab after defeating them in the Anglo-Sikh war in 1849 under the Lahore Treaty.
The Kohinoor was given to Queen Victoria by Duleep Singh, the successor of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab, in an event organised in Hyde Park London. The diamond has been in possession of Britain since then.
It is believed that it was Lord Dalhousie who played a pivotal role in getting the Kohinoor to Britain.
Now, the diamond is a part of the Crown of Queen Elizabeth II.
.The Kohinoor diamond was mined from Golconda in Andhra Pradesh.
It is believed that rulers who got possession of Kohinoor witnessed violence, murders, mutilations, torture and treachery in their lives.
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.”
In view of this curse, the Kohinoor has always been given to the wife of the male heir to the British throne.
It’s not only India, but Pakistan and Afghanistan have also staked their claim over the famed jewel and asked for its return.
Big Wire
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