Dear Editor,
Kohinoor, the rare diamond, came to limelight when the King of Malwa presented it to Mughal Emperor Jahangir. It remained with Mughal emperors for many years. After the demise of Aurangzeb, Mughal power declined. Then came the invasion of Nadir Shah of Iran. He took the diamond from then Mughal king through treachery by exchanging turbans to establish brotherly bond with him. He knew that the king had kept the diamond in his turban. Then, after the disintegration of Iranian empire, the diamond came in possession of Shah Shuja, ruler of Afghanistan. Shah Shuja had to go in exile when he was overthrown. Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Punjab, offered him shelter in the Sikh state. Ranjit Singh treated him well, but asked for the diamond, too. After the death of Ranjit Singh, two Anglo-Sikh wars took place. With the result, Sikh rule ended in Punjab. Lord Dalhousie, then Governor-General, took the diamond along with Dalip Singh, minor son of Ranjit Singh, to England. Dalhousie presented the diamond to the Queen of England, but she insisted that it should be gifted to her by the successor of the late Sikh ruler. So, it was arranged accordingly and Dalip Singh gifted the diamond to the Queen. In this way, the Kohinoor went to the possession of England. It was studded in the British Crown. It did not prove lucky to any power.
DS Thakur,
Via-e-mail