The history of the most famous diamond in the world is closely linked to the events of the English crown. And the historian William Dalrymple is referring to Koh-i Noor, this is the name of the precious stone.
The precious jewel, also called mountain of light thanks to its 105.602 carats, arrived in the hands of Queen Victoria in 1849, during the conquest of the Indian region of Punjab by the then British Empire. Soon, the gem went on to adorn the royal crown, becoming a full-fledged part of the jewels solemnly enshrined in the Tower of London. But the ownership of the diamond is still a bone of contention today, with India, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan among the claimants.
Little is known of its origin. Some believe it was found in a river bed in India around 1300, others that it was extracted from the Kollur mine. As it is, since then it became the object of desire of the greatest sovereigns. For centuries it passed from hand to hand of the Indian Mughals, Iranians, Afghans and Sikh communities. Legend has it that if a man owned the gem, he would be the ruler of the world, but would suffer great misfortune. If it had been a woman, she would have been very lucky.
The earliest historical records have it in the hands of the Mughal ruler Muhammad Babur, who obtained it as a peace offering in 1526, when he invaded and conquered Delhi. A few years later, his son Humayun fell ill and, again according to legend, Babur was warned of the evil fate of the diamond but did not want to give credit, until, desperate for his son, he prayed that it be saved, in exchange for his own life. So it happened: Humayun recovered from his illness, while Babur’s health deteriorated, leading to his death in 1530.
