Diamonds are precious gemstones which, from ancient
to modern times, have typically been used for adornment because of its gemological and
shining characteristic of dispersing white light and bursting it into different spectral
and sparkling colors.
It cannot be denied that people are largely fascinated by these precious stones for their
crystalline beauty and elegance as well as the widespread knowledge that they could last
“forever.”
But, of course, not all diamonds and other gemstones are famous simply for their physical
attributes, but for the notorious reputation they gained over several generations for purportedly
being cursed.
Many of the oldest gemstones that survive today bring with them tales of mystery, intrigue
as well as a series of misfortunes that have been passed down from one owner to the next.
With so many people going to great lengths to possess them, and with so many deaths believed
to have been caused by these precious diamonds, a lot of people today are left wondering if
the pricelessness of these gemstones is worth the curse that comes with owning one.
One of the most famously known diamonds believed to possess a deadly curse is the the Koh-i-Noor,
which is what we will be discussing extensively in this video.
The Koh-i-Noor, which is Persian for “Mountain of Light,” is currently ranked as the 90th
largest diamond in the world, and is arguably the most infamous one.
It is a large, dazzling, oval-cut and colorless diamond, which currently weighs at 105.6 carats
or 21.12 grams.
Its earliest officially-recorded weight was 186 carats or 77.2 grams, though it is believed
by some to have weighed as much as 793 carats before its first cutting.
As for when it was first found and where it originally came from, no one really knows
for certain.
But what is widely known is the fact that it is an unspeaking witness to centuries of
violent and bloody wars and conquests, having been passed on from one ruler or conqueror
to another, sometimes by inheritance but mostly by force.
The story and lives of those who once held ownership of this gemstone went down in history
as rulers whose legacies were plagued with ill fortune, and whose kingdoms and empires
eventually met their downfall.
Even now, ownership of this precious diamond is still being fought about by various nations,
which is probably why some people have thought of the Koh-i-Noor as the deadliest cursed
diamond on the planet.
There are conflicting views regarding the possible origins of the the Koh-i-Noor.
Some say that the legendary diamond’s existence date back to more than 5,000 years ago, and
was found in the river bed of the Lower Godavari River, which is part of the second longest
river in India.
Others say that the legendary diamond came from Surya, the sun god, and was given to
the world as a special gift.
There also those who claim that the diamond was originally the property of the Hindu god
Krishna, while others believe that the Koh-i-Noor is the prized jewel called Shyamantaka mentioned
in the written texts of Indian mythology.
Another story suggests that the diamond was worn by Raja Karna as a talisman when he fought
in the Mahabharata war.
While it may be impossible now to find out where exactly the Koh-i-Noor was found, it
is widely believed that the prized gemstone came from the Kollur Mine in the Guntur District,
which was located in what is known today as the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
They say that the diamond was the eye of the Devi, or the goddess, in a Hindu temple during
the reign of the Kakatiya dynasty sometime in the 13th century.
However, during the early 14th century, the Turkic Khilji dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate
marched to southern India.
The army of Alauddin Khalji – the dynasty’s second ruler – raided the kingdoms of the
area for their wealth, and it is believed that among the riches and prized possessions
taken by the Khilji’s army is the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
The stone supposedly remained in the custody of the Khilji dynasty for several years until
it was later passed on to subsequent dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate.
However, most historians agree that the first reliable recording of the Koh-i-Noor was in
the Baburnama or the Memoirs of Babur, an autobiographical work written by the founder
of the Mughal Empire, Babur.
The jewel came into the possession of the conqueror and at the time, he referred to
it as the “Diamond of Babur.”
He also mentioned in his memoirs that it had belonged to an unnamed Raja of Malwa in India.
It has also been said that the emperor treasured the diamond so much that he compared its worth
to “the value of one day’s food for all the people in the world” who lived at the
time.
The Mughal Empire ruled over the majority of the Indian subcontinent for around two
centuries, and it is believed that the Koh-i-Noor was passed from one emperor of the Mughal
Empire to the next until the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, had the jewel placed
onto his ornamental Peacock Throne.
Unfortunately, Jahan’s sons got caught up in a power struggle that led to his imprisonment,
and the ailing emperor eventually passed away in captivity.
When his son Aurangzeb came into power, ownership of the Peacock Throne and the diamond passed
onto him before it eventually came into the possession of Aurangzeb’s grandson, Sultan
Mahamad.
In 1739, Delhi was invaded by the ruling Shah of Persia, Nader Shah, who went down in history
as the “scourge” of the Ottoman Empire.
With the invasion of Nader Shah’s army came the exhaustive looting and acquisition of
the riches and valuable possessions of the Mughal nobility.
Along with other jewels and treasures, the Peacock Throne which contained the diamond,
was transported to Persia.
As the story goes, when the Shah finally got his hands on the famous stone, he allegedly
exclaimed “Koh-i-Noor!” which is how the jewel got its name.
The Koh-i-Noor did not last for very long in Nader Shah’s possession as he was assassinated
in 1747.
With the fall of his empire, the diamond fell into the hands of his general, Ahmad Shah
Abdali, who eventually rose to power as the Emir of Afghanistan.
When he and his son died during their respective reigns, Ahmad Shah Abdali’s descendants
were caught in a civil war.
Amid the chaos, Shah Shuja Durrani, a descendant of Ahmad Shah who briefly assumed power as
king, escaped from the wrath of his feuding brothers and brought the Koh-i-Noor with him
in India.
Shah Shuja Durrani sought asylum in Lahore, which was granted by Maharaja Ranjit Singh,
the ruler and founder of the Sikh Empire.
However, his safety came at a very high price, as the Sikh emperor required that the Koh-i-Noor
be given to him in exchange for his hospitality.
And so, Shah Shuja Durrani surrendered ownership of the diamond and the Sikh emperor took possession
of the stone in 1813.
The new owner of the Koh-i-Noor purportedly loved the diamond so much that he wore it
on all kinds of public occasions.
Perhaps to make sure that the jewel will be taken care of by capable hands, the Sikh emperor
willed that the Koh-i-Noor be given to a Hindu temple.
However, when he died and after the assassinations of the next Maharajas, his youngest son, Duleep
Singh, ascended the throne at the tender age of five in 1843.
And when the British Empire won the Second Anglo-Sikh War in April 1849, the ten-year-old
Duleep was made to sign the Last Treaty of Lahore.
Having done so, he resigned his claim to the sovereignty of Punjab and officially ceded
ownership of the Koh-i-Noor to Queen Victoria along with his other assets to the East India
Company.
When the Koh-i-Noor came into the possession of the British royal family, Queen Victoria’s
husband, Prince Albert, commissioned the re-cutting of the diamond to its current size and appearance,
and it was worn by the queen as a personal brooch.
After Queen Victoria’s death, it became a part of the crown jewels of the British
royal family.
It was mounted onto the crown of Queen Consort Alexandra before it was transferred to Queen
Consort Mary’s crown in 1911, and was finally placed on the crown of The Queen Mother Elizabeth
in 1937.
Today, the crown is publicly displayed along with other Crown Jewels of the royal family
at the Tower of London.
(The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor) Considering that the ownership of the Koh-i-Noor
transferred from one person to another for so many times to the point that it became
difficult to pinpoint who had it when, we can’t really help but ask: Is the curse
of the Koh-i-Noor real?
There’s an old saying about the Koh-i-Noor, and it states: “He who owns this diamond
will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes.
Only God, or woman, can wear it with impunity.”
If we take a look at the events that transpired around the time the Koh-i-Noor was in the
possession of an emperor or a ruler, it will not be difficult to see the pattern of violence,
gore, and tragedies that is very apparent in the diamond’s history.
The stories of the people who gained ownership of the jewel and their descendants who ended
up inheriting the stone usually ended in torture, murder, mutilation, treachery and the collapse
of their dynasties.
While the British royal family may never admit that they believe in the curse of the Koh-i-Noor,
its history cannot be dismissed so easily, and it seems the threat of receiving the curse
is frightening enough for the long-reigning monarchy to handle it with caution.
After the reign of Queen Victoria, the use of the Koh-i-Noor diamond has so far only
been granted to the wives of the male heirs to the British throne.
Even Queen Elizabeth II has steered clear of wearing the diamond with a crown or as
an accessory, even though the Koh-i-Noor’s curse supposedly only applied to male rulers.
Of course, this does not confirm that the diamond is cursed and deadly, but it does
leave us wondering if the jewel is indeed the source of the problem of its owners, or
its role in the violent history of many fallen empires is actually not any more special than
any other spoil of war.
Did the owners of the Koh-i-Noor and the empires and kingdoms they ruled experienced horrible
misfortunes and terrible fates because the diamond in their possession was cursed?
Or, did people come to believe that the Koh-i-Noor was cursed simply because its previous owners
incidentally experienced misfortunes along with the collapse of their empires?
We may never know for sure if the Koh-i-Noor is indeed cursed, or its supposed menacing
power to destroy the lives of its owners and their descendants is nothing more than a long-standing
myth.
And perhaps answering this mystery should be the least of our concern for the moment
as there are more pressing issues about this diamond that remains unresolved today, particularly
the disputes over its ownership.
While it is in the possession of the British royal family, other countries such as India,
Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have called for the United Kingdom’s relinquishment
of the diamond’s ownership and the return of the Koh-i-Noor to the care of their respective
nations.
And although the jewel’s presence in London is largely contested, it looks like the British
royal family will not be ceding possession of this diamond anytime soon.