The Wonder Called Kohinoor

The Kohinoor is one of the oldest and most famous diamonds in the world. The history of the Kohinoor goes back in history to more than 5000 years ago. The name of the diamond, “Koh-i-noor” is in Persian and means “Mountain of Light”. Here is a timeline that traces the roots of this priceless diamond: 

5000 Years Ago 

It is believed that the diamond was fi rst mentioned more than 5000 years ago in a Sanskrit script, where it was called the Syamantaka. After this fi rst written mention, for over 4,000 years the diamond is not mentioned. 

The 1300s 

Up until 1304 the diamond was in the possession of the Rajas of Malwa. But back then, the diamond was still not named Kohinoor. In 1304, it belonged to the Emperor of Delhi, Allaudin Khilji. Then in 1339, the diamond was taken back to the city of Samarkand (Persia), where it stayed for almost 300 years. 

The 1500s

In 1526 the Mogul ruler Babur mentions the diamond in his writings, Baburnama. The diamond was gifted to him by the Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. One of the descendants of Babur, Aurangzeb, protected the diamond diligently and passed it on to his heirs. Mahamad, the grandson of Aurangzeb, however, was not a fear-inspiring and great ruler like his grandfather. 

From the 1700s to 1800s 

In 1739, Mahamad; lost a battle with the Persian general Nadir Shah. And along with his power and kingdom, Mahamed had to also surrender his precious diamond to Nadir Shah. It was Nadir Shah who gave the diamond its current name, “Koh-i-noor”. But Nadir Shah did not live for long. In 1747 he was assassinated and the diamond fell into the hands of one of his generals, Ahmad Shah Durrani. A descendant of Ahmad Shah, Shah Shuja Durrani brought the Koh-i-noor back to India in 1813 and gave it to Ranjit Singh (the founder of the Sikh Empire). In exchange Ranjit Singh helped Shah Shuja get back the throne of Afghanistan. 

British East India Company 

In 1849, after the conquest of the Punjab by the British forces, the properties of the Sikh Empire were confi scated. The Koh-i-noor was transferred to the treasury of the British East India Company in Lahore. The diamond was then shipped to Britain on a ship and handed to Queen Victoria in July 1850.

Queen Victoria 

After the diamond was handed to Queen Victoria, it was exhibited at the Crystal Palace a year later. But the “Mountain of Light” was not as shiny as the other cut gemstones of that era and there was a general disappointment regarding it. In 1852 the Queen decided to reshape the diamond and it was taken to a Dutch jeweller, Mr. Cantor who cut it to 108.93 carats. Queen Victoria wore the diamond occasionally afterwards. She left in her will that the Koh-i-noor should only be worn by a female queen. If the head of state was a man, his wife would have to carry the diamond. After Queen Victoria’s death, the Kohinoor became part of the Crown Jewels.


Fun Facts about Diamonds 
The word “Diamond” comes from the Greek word “Adamas” and means “unconquerable and indestructible” The diamond is the hardest natural substance found on the Earth Diamonds are made of a single element—they’re nearly 100% carbon. Diamonds are billions of years old—in some cases more than three billion years old. Diamonds are formed about 160 kilometers below the ground and have been carried to the earth’s surface by deep volcanic eruptions. Diamonds were first discovered in India and then in Brazil. Today, most of the Earth’s natural diamond deposits are found in Africa.