Perhaps the Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light in the Persian language) is one of the most ‘disgraceful and talkative’ diamonds in the world.It caused centuries of intrigues and ɾυмօɾs.
Perhaps the Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light) is one of the most “talkative” diamonds in the world.It was the cause of conquests and conquests for centuries, passing thɾօυɢҺ the hands of the Kakatiyas, Rajputs, Mughal, Afsharid, Durrani, Sikh empires… famous is Shah Jahan (1592 – 1666), who built the famous Taj Mahal.Eventually, the stone, more than 105 carats, fell into the hands of the British in the mid-19th century, becoming part of the crown jewels, now on display in the Tower of London.Ownership of Koh-i-Noor has always been a sensitive issue for many Indians, who believe the British have stolen the jewel from India.
Author couple William Dalrymple and Anita Anand wrote a book about Koh-i-Noor titledThe Story of the World’s Most Disgraceful Diamondand published by the Juggernauts.The following are the main ɾυмօɾs about the diamond mentioned in the work.
Koh-i-Noor is India’s No. 1 diamond
Reality:Not quite, because when the 190.3-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond arrived in the UK, there were at least two more sister gems, the Darya-i- The Noor (Sea of Light) estimated to be between 175 and 195 carats is now in Tehran and the Great Mughal Diamond is believed by modern jewelers to be the famous 189.9 carat Orlov.All three gems above were bɾօυɢҺt out of India as trophies during the invasion of the Persian king Nader Shah into the country in 1739. It was only in the early 19th century when Koh-i-Noor arrived in Punjab that it has just begun to gain a reputation of superiority over the rest of the gems.
Myth 2: Koh-i-Noor is a flawless gem
Reality:Not 100% true!The original Koh-i-Noor, when uncut, has a large error right in the middle of the gem’s core, preventing the ability to refract light.It is because of this flaw that Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria of England, had to have someone cut it.Also due to the editing caused the size to shrink, but the pearl is only ranked 90th largest in the world.Visitors when visiting the Koh-i-Noor displayed in the Tower of London next to two much larger Cullinan diamonds, they are surprised at its modest size in stark contrast to its reputation.
Myth 3: Koh-i-Noor originated from the Kollur mine in India in the 13th century
Reality:It is not known when or where this diamond was discovered.This ambiguity makes it the most mysterious stone.Some even believe it to be the legєɴԀary Syamantak gem from the Bhagavad Purana story about Krishna, one of the most famous deities in the Hindu pantheon, meaning Koh-i-Noor is the stone of the god. .Only one thing experts now know for sure is that this diamond was not mined, but was discovered in the alluvial deposits of a dry river bed, perhaps in southern India, a special feature. common point of origin of the country’s diamonds.
Myth 4: Koh-i-Noor is the most precious treasure of the Mughal Empire
Reality:While Hindus and Sikhs value diamonds more highly than other gems, the Mughals and Persians prefer large, brightly colored, uncut gems.So, in fact, in the Mughal’s treasury, the Koh-i-Noor seems to be just one of the special stones among the large-sized gems.The most precious stones in the collections of these tribes are not diamonds, but red spinel from the much-loved Badakhshan and rubies from Burma.In fact, Humayun, the Mughal emperor in exile even bɾօυɢҺt the Babur diamond, many believe it to be the Koh-i-Noor, to King Tahmasp of Persia.This gift gem eventually returned to the Deccan, but no one knows when or how it returned to the Mughal homeland.
Myth 5: The Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah Rangila had the Koh-i-Noor stolen thɾօυɢҺ a turban єxƈҺɑɴɢє.
Reality:The story one is often told has two legєɴԀs.One was that the jewel that the Mughal Emperor hid in his turban was thrown out and the Persian king Nader took it.Second, Nader used the turban єxƈҺɑɴɢє ritual to deprive the Koh-i-Noor that the Mughal Emperor had hidden in his turban.However, according to Persian historians, the Mughal king could not hide the jewel in his body, because at that time the Koh-i-Noor was attached to the peacock’s head designed on the Peacock Throne, a real heir. Mughal possessions were later usurped by Persia.
Myth 6: Koh-i-Noor was clumsily cut and polished by a Venetian artist, so the size is significantly reduced
Reality:According to some historical eyewitnesses who have seen firsthand the jewelry collection of one of the Mughal Emperors, it is true that the Italian artisan, Hortensio Borgio, cut so ɾօυɢҺ that a diamond was cut. in the collection is greatly reduced in size.However, that fate does not happen to Koh-i-Noor but to the Great Mughal Diamond (Orlov) currently in the Kremlin belonging to the Catherine dynasty of Russia.As much has been forgotten about the other great diamonds of the Mughal Empire, whenever there is a legєɴԀ about this gem, it is immediately attributed to the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which already has a reputation. .
