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Description of the Kohinoor Diamond
(aka Koh-i-Noor)
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.
Origin / Meaning
of the name Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
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
(aka Koh-i-Noor)
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 Kohinoor Diamond
(aka Koh-i-Noor)
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 (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The following
timeline & history of the Kohinoor details important historical events and
dates:
|
Dates in History of
the Kohinoor |
Timeline & History of
Kohinoor Diamond
(aka Koh-i-Noor)
|
|
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 |
|
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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 |
|
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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 by 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
|
|
Dates in History of
the Kohinoor |
Timeline & History of
Kohinoor Diamond
(aka Koh-i-Noor)
|
History Timeline
of the Kohinoor
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 (aka Koh-i-Noor)
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.
Kohinoor Diamond - Famous - Precious - Stone -
Guide - Timeline Kohinoor - Facts - Information -Info
History
Kohinoor Diamond - Timeline & History Koh-i-Noor - History of the Kohinoor
Kohinoor Diamond
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