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The demand to return the Kohinoor diamond to India was rekindled after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022. The precious stone is set in a platinum crown which was created for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and was later inherited by her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
Considered to be one of the world’s most popular gems, the Kohinoor was reportedly found in India in the 14th century. However, the British came across the jewel during the colonial era and it reached Queen Victoria after the annexation of Punjab in 1849, when the 10-year-old prince of Punjab, Duleep Singh, handed it over to Lord Dalhousie in keeping with the Treaty of Lahore.
The gem eventually became part of British Crown Jewels collection. However, the subject of its ownership continues to be a topic of debate among at least four countries.
On Friday, September 9, 2022, Daily Mail reported that the crown with its infamous diamond will now be passed on to Camilla Parker Bowles, who became the Queen Consort of the United Kingdom after her husband King Charles III assumed the throne following the Queen’s demise.
From the Mughals to the Sikhs to the British: A brief history of the much-coveted Kohinoor
The Kohinoor, or Koh-i-Noor, is considered to be one of the richest and largest cut diamonds in the world. It weighs nearly 105 carats and is one of the 2,800 precious gems set in the Crown of the Queen Mother.
Although the exact worth of the Kohinoor remains unknown, the official website of the diamond notes that the total value of the British Crown Jewels ranges between $10 and $12 billion and the former is one of the most expensive gems in the collection.
Legends say that the diamond was reportedly mined at the Kollur Mine on the south bank of the Krishna River in Andra Pradesh, India. Mentions of the stone can be found in the diary of Mughal emperor Babur, who noted that it was first acquired by Alauddin Khilji at the beginning of the 14th century.
Reports suggest that the Kohinoor and the Timur Ruby were two of the most special stones encrusted in the Peacock Throne commissioned by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan. The Kohinoor diamond was reportedly perched at the very top of the throne, inside the head of a peacock made of gemstones.
Following the creation of the Peacock Throne, the stone was retained in India by the Mughal Empire for nearly a century. However, it soon attracted the attention of Persian ruler Nader Shah. When the latter invaded Delhi in 1739, he looted millions of rupees and historic jewels from the country, including the Peacock Throne.
It is believed that Shah removed the Kohinoor from the throne and wore it on his armband before passing it on to his grandson in 1747, who gave it to Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Durrani. The latter’s grandson Shah Shuja Durrani reportedly wore the diamond in a bracelet in 1808 during Mountstuart Elphinstone’s visit to Peshawar.
The Kohinoor stayed away from India for nearly 70 years before Sikh Ruler Ranjit Singh acquired it back in 1813. It is believed Shah Shuja fled to Lahore with the diamond after being overthrown during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. He then gave it to Ranjit Singh in return for his hospitality.
On his death bed, Singh reportedly insisted on giving away the diamond to the Jagannath Temple in Puri. However, treasurer Beli Ram said that the gem was a state property and should be given over to Kharak Singh, the eldest son of Ranjit Singh.
Following Ranjit Singh’s death, Beli Ram hid the diamond in his vaults but Kharak Singh and Wazir Dhian Singh ordered that it cannot be taken outside Lahore. The Kohinoor ultimately fell into the hands of Dhian Singh’s brother Gulab Singh after Kharak Singh was overthrown by the former in 1839.
Gulab Singh presented the diamond to Emperor Sher Singh in 1841. After the latter’s assassination in 1843 by Dhian Singh’s son Hira Singh, the Kohinoor was given to five-year-old child emperor Duleep Singh.
When the Second Anglo-Sikh War came to an end in 1849, the British East India Company annexed Punjab and allegedly forced the then-10 years old Duleep Singh to sign an amendment to the Treaty of Lahore. The document required the young ruler to give away the Kohinoor to the British.
The diamond was eventually presented to Queen Victoria on July 3, 1850, at Buckingham Palace by the deputy chairman of the East India Company. The following year, members of the public were allowed to see the diamond at The Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London.
Queen Victoria reportedly wore the diamond as a brooch and it was later set in the crown of Queen Alexandra upon the former’s death. In 1911, the diamond was transferred to Queen Mary's Crown in and ultimately to The Queen Mother's Crown in 1937.
At the time of her death, the Kohinoor was placed atop her coffin during a state funeral. It is currently on display in the Tower of London on the crown made for The Queen Mother during King George VI’s coronation.
Twitter reacts to the possession of Kohinoor following Queen Elizabeth II’s death
The Kohinoor’s ownership has always been debated, especially among India, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. The Archeological Survey of India once argued that the diamond was “surrendered” to the Queen of England by the King of Lahore but “not handed over” to the British.
However, in 2016, the Indian government reportedly mentioned in the Supreme Court that the gem was neither forced nor robbed by British rulers but presented to the East India Company by the-then rulers of Punjab.
In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the demand for the return of the diamond to India resurfaced online. Several people even took to Twitter to object to the idea of Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles inheriting it:
As reactions continue to pour in online, it remains to be seen if the Royal Family will address questions about the inheritance of the Kohinoor in the days to come.
In the past, the British government has rejected any claims to the diamond and stated that its ownership has been "non-negotiable" since the end of the British Raj.
