The history of the Kohinoor
- In Dispatch
- 08:47 PM, May 10, 2016
- Ranabir Bhattacharyya
Every time any British contingent visits India or Indian dignitaries meet anyone from British Royal Family or British Government, Indian media starts speculating on the Kohinoor issue. Generations have witnessed Kohinoor as one of the crown jewels of the British Royal family showcased at the Tower of London. A few days back, there was another controversy in all quarters whether Kohinoor was voluntarily given or was it snatched or forfeited by the English forces centuries back or not. Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar told the Supreme Court," Kohinoor cannot be said to have been forcibly taken or stolen." A day after, it was told to the Supreme Court that Kohinoor was not forcibly taken or stolen but given as a 'gift' to East India Company by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab. The Solicitor General also added, “If we claim our treasures like Kohinoor from other countries, every other nation will start claiming their items from us. There will be nothing left in our museums.”
The present NDA government under Narendra Modi, which has taken a nationalistic tone since its arrival, is indeed facing the heat on the formal stance of the Government in the sensitive Kohinoor issue. Amidst all controversies, Central Government in a statement said, “The Government of India wishes to put on record that certain news items appearing in the press regarding the Kohinoor diamond are not based on facts. The SG was asked to seek the views of the Government of India, which have not yet been conveyed. The SG informed the Honourable Court about the history of the diamond and gave an oral statement on the basis of the existing references made available by the ASI. The factual position is that the matter is sub judice at present. A PIL has been filed in the Honourable Supreme Court that is yet to be admitted.”
The history of Kohinoor goes back 5000 years, when it was named Syamantaka, mentioned in a Sanskrit script. Although in the 4000 years it wasn't mentioned, until 1304 it was in the possession of the Rajas of Malwa. In 1304, it belonged to the Delhi sultan Alauddin Khilji. The destiny of Kohinoor stranded in the city of Samarkhand, where it stayed for nearly 300 years from 1339. In a Hindi writing dating back to 1306, the famous Kohinoor curse is mentioned saying, "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 diamond, which was yet to be mentioned as Kohinoor, got mentioned yet again in Mughal ruler Babur's memoir Baburama. Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, the last Delhi Sultan, who was defeated and killed in the first battle of Panipath in 1526, gifted the diamond to Babur. Incidentally the Mahmad, the grandson of Aurangzeb was a weak ruler in the fading years of Mughal rule. The notorious Persian general Nadir Shah invaded India in 1739 and Sultan Mahmad was no match to the prowess of Nadir Shah and the Sultan lost in the battle.
With this win, Nadir Shah got hold of the diamond and he renamed the diamond as the 'Kohinoor', which means 'Mountain of light'. After the assassination of Nadir Shah in 1747, Ahmad shah Durrani, one of the generals of Nadir Shah, got hold of the precious Kohinoor. Later Shah Shuja Durrani, a descendant of Ahmad Shah Durrani brought the Kohinoor back to India. Incidentally Shah Shuja needed Maharaja Ranjit Singh's help to reclaim the throne of Afghanistan. In exchange of help, Shah Shuja gifted Maharaja Ranjit Singh the invaluable Kohinoor. In 1849, when the British conquered Punjab, properties of the Sikh Empire were seized. At the juncture of time, the Kohinoor was taken and transferred to the treasury of the British East India Company in Lahore. The Kohinoor was an integral part of war compensation between the British and the Punjab Empire.
Even the Treaty of Lahore was dedicated to Kohinoor only. In May 1848, Delhi Gazette, a British newspaper, published, "This famous diamond (the largest and most precious in the world) forfeited by the treachery of the sovereign at Lahore, and now under the security of British bayonets at the fortress of Goindghur, it is hoped ere long, as one of the splendid trophies of our military valor, be brought to England in attention of the glory of our arms in India”. Later the Kohinoor was shipped to Britain and handed over to Queen Victoria in July 1850. Kohinoor lost its century old shape when Queen Victoria decided to reshape the diamond and Dutch Jeweler cut it down to 108.93 carats. Queen Victoria wore it occasionally and after her death it became a part of crown jewels.
The British version or their status quo in returning is also not clear. Thus, even if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the PIL, urging the Central Government to bring Kohinoor back in India, the realistic possibility of fulfilling it is indeed highly improbable. The present Narendra Modi government has already taken proactive approaches in dealing with disclosure of Netaji files. Thus there is ample hope amidst various quarters that in the near future, Government can initiate a dialogue to discuss the legal tangles of bringing Kohinoor to India.
Comments