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One fabulous diamond whose value could feed the entire
world for two-and-a-half days. Four races: Indian, Afghan,
Persian and English, whose destinies were inextricably
involved with this gem. A Persian oilmans son who went
on to virtually rule Golconda and its vast diamond mines.
A Mughal prince, hated by history, who was sinned against
as much as sinning. Only an Indian or a Persian could tell
this great story with all its nuances.

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Lotus Collection

Editions Julliard

20, Rue des Grands Augustins, 75006 Paris

All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission of the publisher.

First English edition published in 1994

This edition published in 2013

The Lotus Collection

An imprint of

Roli Books Pvt. Ltd

M-75, Greater Kailash II Market, New Delhi 110 048

Phone: ++91 (011) 4068 2000

Fax: ++91 (011) 2921 7185

E-mail: info@rolibooks.com

Website: www.rolibooks.com

Also at Bengaluru, Chennai, & Mumbai

Layout: Sanjeev Mathpal

Cover design: Bonita Vaz-Shimray

Production: Shaji Sahadevan

ISBN: 978-81-7436-927-7

THE KOH-I-NOORS TRAVELS: Who acquired it, when, how?

John Lawrence hated the conventionalities of
life and had no use for jewels... he stuffed the
box containing the Koh-i-noor into his waistcoat
pocket and went about his business.
About six weeks afterwards, when Lord
Dalhousie asked for the diamond to send to
Queen Victoria, Lawrence was horrified.
He went to his room, his heart pounding
wildly, and asked his old Indian bearer if he had
found a small box in his waistcoat pocket.
Yes Sahib, I found it and put it in one of your
boxes.
Bring it here.
The bearer did so, and held it out for John
Lawrence who heard a huge sigh of relief.
The bearer observed with astonishment:
There is nothing here, Sahib, but a bit of glass!

Contents

Preface

On 29 June 1850, HMS Medea , a warship flying the British flag, docked at a deserted quay in Portsmouth, ending a long journey that had begun in Bombay on 6 April, the previous year. Apart from the crew, there were only two passengers on board: Captain Ramsay, aide-de-camp to the Marquis of Dalhousie, Governor General of India, and Lieutenant Colonel Mackeson, Dalhousies liaison officer with the British expeditionary corps in the Punjab.

All the Medea carried was a packet so tiny, it could easily be slipped into a pocket. Only Captain Ramsay and Colonel Mackeson knew what it contained. Several days later the press at last lifted the veil of secrecy: the ships cargo was none other than the Koh-i-noor, a fabulous diamond due to be presented to Queen Victoria by the directors of the East India Company. The ceremony was to take place at four oclock on the afternoon of 3 July at Buckingham Palace.

On 29 March 1849, Dalip Singh, the young Maharaja of the Punjab, had ratified the instrument surrendering his state to the British. Article three of this document provided for the Koh-i-noor (Mountain of Light), one of the most famous diamonds in the world, to be handed to Queen Victoria.

Dalhousie wrote to his sovereign: Formerly placed in the throne of the Emperors of Delhi; captured there in his invasion by Nader Shah thence transferred to the Kings of Kabul and extorted from Shah Shuja by the Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Koh-i-noor may be regarded as a historical symbol of conquest in India, and the Governor General rejoices that it has found its fitting rest in Your Majestys Crown.

But in fact, the Koh-i-noor has never adorned the crown of a ruling British monarch, perhaps because it was reputed to bring ill luck, though legend has it that only men were affected. After the stone was displayed at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, it was re-cut and set in one of Queen Victorias tiaras, the crown of Queen Mary, and finally in 1937, the crown of Elizabeth, the present Queen Mother.

Today the Koh-i-noor is neither the biggest nor the most beautiful diamond known. Several stones the Cullinan (the Great Star of Africa now in the British sceptre), the Regent (on view at the Louvre) and the Orlov (at the Kremlin), to mention only the most famous are bigger and brighter. But the Koh-i-noor is the most romantic of them all, for each one of its glittering facets reflects a colourful and often violent episode in Indian, Persian, Afghan, and British history and evokes the life of the people who took part in those stirring events.

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