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Kohinoor
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272 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2016
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About the author
William Dalrymple
63 books3,618 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
William Dalrymple was born in Scotland and brought up on the shores of the Firth of Forth. He wrote the highly acclaimed bestseller In Xanadu when he was twenty-two. The book won the 1990 Yorkshire Post Best First Work Award and a Scottish Arts Council Spring Book Award; it was also shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize.
In 1989 Dalrymple moved to Delhi where he lived for six years researching his second book, City of Djinns, which won the 1994 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award and the Sunday Times Young British Writer of the Year Award. From the Holy Mountain, his acclaimed study of the demise of Christianity in its Middle Eastern homeland, was awarded the Scottish Arts Council Autumn Book Award for 1997; it was also shortlisted for the 1998 Thomas Cook Award, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and the Duff Cooper Prize. A collection of his writings about India, The Age of Kali, won the French Prix D’Astrolabe in 2005.
White Mughals was published in 2003, the book won the Wolfson Prize for History 2003, the Scottish Book of the Year Prize, and was shortlisted for the PEN History Award, the Kiryama Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.
William Dalrymple is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and of the Royal Asiatic Society, and is the founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival.
In 2002 he was awarded the Mungo Park Medal by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for his ‘outstanding contribution to travel literature’. He wrote and presented the television series Stones of the Raj and Indian Journeys, which won the Grierson Award for Best Documentary Series at BAFTA in 2002. His Radio 4 series on the history of British spirituality and mysticism, The Long Search, won the 2002 Sandford St Martin Prize for Religious Broadcasting and was described by the judges as ‘thrilling in its brilliance... near perfect radio’. In December 2005 his article on the madrasas of Pakistan was awarded the prize for Best Print Article of the Year at the 2005 FPA Media Awards. In June 2006 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa by the University of St Andrews “for his services to literature and international relations, to broadcasting and understanding”. In 2007, The Last Moghal won the prestigous Duff Cooper Prize for History and Biography. In November 2007, William received an Honourary Doctorate of Letters, honoris causa, from the University of Lucknow University “for his outstanding contribution in literature and history”, and in March 2008 won the James Todd Memorial Prize from the Maharana of Udaipur.
William is married to the artist Olivia Fraser, and they have three children. They now live on a farm outside Delhi.
William Dalrymple was born in Scotland and brought up on the shores of the Firth of Forth. He wrote the highly acclaimed bestseller In Xanadu when he was twenty-two. The book won the 1990 Yorkshire Post Best First Work Award and a Scottish Arts Council Spring Book Award; it was also shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize.
In 1989 Dalrymple moved to Delhi where he lived for six years researching his second book, City of Djinns, which won the 1994 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award and the Sunday Times Young British Writer of the Year Award. From the Holy Mountain, his acclaimed study of the demise of Christianity in its Middle Eastern homeland, was awarded the Scottish Arts Council Autumn Book Award for 1997; it was also shortlisted for the 1998 Thomas Cook Award, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and the Duff Cooper Prize. A collection of his writings about India, The Age of Kali, won the French Prix D’Astrolabe in 2005.
White Mughals was published in 2003, the book won the Wolfson Prize for History 2003, the Scottish Book of the Year Prize, and was shortlisted for the PEN History Award, the Kiryama Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.
William Dalrymple is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and of the Royal Asiatic Society, and is the founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival.
In 2002 he was awarded the Mungo Park Medal by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for his ‘outstanding contribution to travel literature’. He wrote and presented the television series Stones of the Raj and Indian Journeys, which won the Grierson Award for Best Documentary Series at BAFTA in 2002. His Radio 4 series on the history of British spirituality and mysticism, The Long Search, won the 2002 Sandford St Martin Prize for Religious Broadcasting and was described by the judges as ‘thrilling in its brilliance... near perfect radio’. In December 2005 his article on the madrasas of Pakistan was awarded the prize for Best Print Article of the Year at the 2005 FPA Media Awards. In June 2006 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa by the University of St Andrews “for his services to literature and international relations, to broadcasting and understanding”. In 2007, The Last Moghal won the prestigous Duff Cooper Prize for History and Biography. In November 2007, William received an Honourary Doctorate of Letters, honoris causa, from the University of Lucknow University “for his outstanding contribution in literature and history”, and in March 2008 won the James Todd Memorial Prize from the Maharana of Udaipur.
William is married to the artist Olivia Fraser, and they have three children. They now live on a farm outside Delhi.
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March 6, 2023
One thing you will not see at the upcoming coronation of Charles III is the Koh-I-Noor diamond. It was announced in February of 2023 that Camilla, Queen Consort will not be wearing a crown containing the hugely disputed gem.
The authors of this book tell the history of a very large area of middle Asia. The diamond helps make the story more colorful and fun to follow. Dalrymple and Anand do a great job explaining the history and known provenance of this contested gemstone. It has been a real wanderer. Essentially, large gemstones have always been popular with potentates. They are showy and portable. In spite of their usually, maybe always grim history, governments and even movie stars cling to them as shows of prestige and power. I rule—I own this glittery “brilliant” rock and you don’t.
Dalrymple and Anand introduce the reader to the Koh-I-Noor (mountain of light), an alluvial stone originally washed up in a riverbed in Golconda, central India. At some point it became associated with the Mughal Dynasty in India. The Mughals came from the north, perhaps in what is now Uzbekistan. They ultimately controlled parts of what are now Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and a good chunk of India. They began to display the diamond in the legendary Peacock Throne. From paintings shown in the book, the throne looked like a golden gazebo encrusted in gems topped with two peacocks, one having a large diamond eye, the Koh-I-Noor.
In the book you get some information about diamonds and the qualities of this particular diamond. It is not anywhere near the largest diamond in the world; in its cut down size it’s barely in the top 100. It is neither flawless nor perfectly clear. The real story here is ownership, then and now. It has found itself in Persia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and then back in the Punjab. As the British East India company came to power, the diamond’s last stay in India found it on the arm of Duleep Singh, a 10 year old boy who was the last Sikh Rajah. Dalhousie, administrator of the East India Company, made a big show of forcing the 10 year old to sign over the Punjab as well as the diamond to England. Dalhousie “gifted” the diamond to Victoria. The whole transaction is shown in all its shabbiness and the diamond’s continued controversy is built on centuries of bloodshed and atrocities. No wonder it’s only shown with some embarrassment in the Tower of London.
Part of the story is the geography in the diamond’s known life. Because of all the places it stayed, many countries and entities would like it back. Most of those countries didn’t exist as they are today, complicating legal claims. Persia (now Iran), Afghanistan and even the Taliban have made separate claims, India has made a number of formal requests for its return since the Partition as well as every time in recent history that the gem has appeared in public. The last time it showed up outside of the Tower of London was atop the Queen Mother’s coffin during her funeral in 2002. Queen Elizabeth II never wore it. India’s claims are said to be controversial because India didn’t exist as a state while the gem was in the Punjab. Orissa (now the Indian state of Odisha) even wants it back based on the claim it may have been willed to them by Duleep Singh’s father on his deathbed. Anyone else want to join in? One group has suggested cutting it up to give individual parts to all the claimants. The British government continues to say No Thanks to all requests.
This book may not give answers to the problems associated with the gem, but certainly shows an interesting history of the regions where it has stayed and the colonial period of the area.
The authors of this book tell the history of a very large area of middle Asia. The diamond helps make the story more colorful and fun to follow. Dalrymple and Anand do a great job explaining the history and known provenance of this contested gemstone. It has been a real wanderer. Essentially, large gemstones have always been popular with potentates. They are showy and portable. In spite of their usually, maybe always grim history, governments and even movie stars cling to them as shows of prestige and power. I rule—I own this glittery “brilliant” rock and you don’t.
Dalrymple and Anand introduce the reader to the Koh-I-Noor (mountain of light), an alluvial stone originally washed up in a riverbed in Golconda, central India. At some point it became associated with the Mughal Dynasty in India. The Mughals came from the north, perhaps in what is now Uzbekistan. They ultimately controlled parts of what are now Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and a good chunk of India. They began to display the diamond in the legendary Peacock Throne. From paintings shown in the book, the throne looked like a golden gazebo encrusted in gems topped with two peacocks, one having a large diamond eye, the Koh-I-Noor.
In the book you get some information about diamonds and the qualities of this particular diamond. It is not anywhere near the largest diamond in the world; in its cut down size it’s barely in the top 100. It is neither flawless nor perfectly clear. The real story here is ownership, then and now. It has found itself in Persia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and then back in the Punjab. As the British East India company came to power, the diamond’s last stay in India found it on the arm of Duleep Singh, a 10 year old boy who was the last Sikh Rajah. Dalhousie, administrator of the East India Company, made a big show of forcing the 10 year old to sign over the Punjab as well as the diamond to England. Dalhousie “gifted” the diamond to Victoria. The whole transaction is shown in all its shabbiness and the diamond’s continued controversy is built on centuries of bloodshed and atrocities. No wonder it’s only shown with some embarrassment in the Tower of London.
Part of the story is the geography in the diamond’s known life. Because of all the places it stayed, many countries and entities would like it back. Most of those countries didn’t exist as they are today, complicating legal claims. Persia (now Iran), Afghanistan and even the Taliban have made separate claims, India has made a number of formal requests for its return since the Partition as well as every time in recent history that the gem has appeared in public. The last time it showed up outside of the Tower of London was atop the Queen Mother’s coffin during her funeral in 2002. Queen Elizabeth II never wore it. India’s claims are said to be controversial because India didn’t exist as a state while the gem was in the Punjab. Orissa (now the Indian state of Odisha) even wants it back based on the claim it may have been willed to them by Duleep Singh’s father on his deathbed. Anyone else want to join in? One group has suggested cutting it up to give individual parts to all the claimants. The British government continues to say No Thanks to all requests.
This book may not give answers to the problems associated with the gem, but certainly shows an interesting history of the regions where it has stayed and the colonial period of the area.
January 29, 2021
Koh-I-Noor,literally means,Mountain of Light.This diamond has a long history,which in the book,begins with the arrival of Babur,the first Mughal emperor in India.
The diamond has been believed to bring great good fortune,but even more so,it has been believed to carry a curse, bringing great suffering and misfortune to its owners.
Both things have happened.Its owners have been powerful kings,ruling over great empires.On the other hand,many of them also suffered great misfortune,being blinded,assassinated and lost their family members.
Personally,I don't have any great fascination for diamonds or jewellery.But the Mughal kings liked to flaunt their wealth,and wear these diamonds.
However,one of them,Humayun was so absent minded that he forgot about the Koh-i-Noor,as he went for his ablutions.It was then saved by one of his servants,who took it back to him.
(Later,a British official also forgot about it,after putting it in a box.When he sent his servant to search for it,the latter said that there was nothing but a piece of glass in it)!
It isn't the largest diamond in the world,but the myths associated with it,have become legendary.It also features in novels like The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.
Dalrymple's book is also an interesting look at Indian and British colonial history.He writes about the eras of various Mughal rulers,Persian conqueror Nader Shah,Afghan kings Ahmed Shah Durrani and Shah Shuja,Maharaja Ranjeet Singh and how they acquired the diamond.
After Ranjeet Singh's death,the British forced his ten year old son,Duleep Singh,to sign a treaty handing it to them.For over 170 years,it has remained in British hands.
The ship taking it to England,ran into a storm and only completed its voyage with great difficulty.
But once it reached London,it was not thought to be bright enough.So,it was cut again.This added to its lustre,but greatly diminished its size.
During this period,the governments of India,Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban demanded its return to their respective countries.
The British government ignored such demands.If they were to agree,the British Museum,which carries plenty of colonial treasures,would soon be empty.
A fitting end to the story of the Koh i Noor,it has always been acquired by brute force.
The diamond has been believed to bring great good fortune,but even more so,it has been believed to carry a curse, bringing great suffering and misfortune to its owners.
Both things have happened.Its owners have been powerful kings,ruling over great empires.On the other hand,many of them also suffered great misfortune,being blinded,assassinated and lost their family members.
Personally,I don't have any great fascination for diamonds or jewellery.But the Mughal kings liked to flaunt their wealth,and wear these diamonds.
However,one of them,Humayun was so absent minded that he forgot about the Koh-i-Noor,as he went for his ablutions.It was then saved by one of his servants,who took it back to him.
(Later,a British official also forgot about it,after putting it in a box.When he sent his servant to search for it,the latter said that there was nothing but a piece of glass in it)!
It isn't the largest diamond in the world,but the myths associated with it,have become legendary.It also features in novels like The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.
Dalrymple's book is also an interesting look at Indian and British colonial history.He writes about the eras of various Mughal rulers,Persian conqueror Nader Shah,Afghan kings Ahmed Shah Durrani and Shah Shuja,Maharaja Ranjeet Singh and how they acquired the diamond.
After Ranjeet Singh's death,the British forced his ten year old son,Duleep Singh,to sign a treaty handing it to them.For over 170 years,it has remained in British hands.
The ship taking it to England,ran into a storm and only completed its voyage with great difficulty.
But once it reached London,it was not thought to be bright enough.So,it was cut again.This added to its lustre,but greatly diminished its size.
During this period,the governments of India,Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban demanded its return to their respective countries.
The British government ignored such demands.If they were to agree,the British Museum,which carries plenty of colonial treasures,would soon be empty.
A fitting end to the story of the Koh i Noor,it has always been acquired by brute force.
August 21, 2017
A mix of myth, history, religion, and culture, this book provides a wealth of information, not only the stone itself, but on the people, places, and events intertwined with its meandering and unexpected existence. The scarcity of sources and the potential crossover of stories referring to other large and precious gems, means that some of its early history is still uncertain, but Dalrymple nevertheless presents a well researched, lively picture of the diamond. It is followed by an equally well written, if not quite as interesting section by Anita Anand, though that evaluation reflects my personal interest in the earlier Mughal stories. As Dalrymple notes: The Mughals, perhaps more than any other Islamic dynasty, made their love of the arts and their aesthetic principles a central part of their identity as rulers. They consciously used jewellery and jewelled objects as they used their architecture, art, poetry, historiography and the bedazzling brilliance of the court ceremonial to make visible and manifest their imperial ideal, to give properly imperial splendour and even a sheen of divine legitimacy. [loc 405] And boy did they ever. The descriptions of jewelled thrones, clothing, daggers and assorted other objects sound like they belong in a dragon's treasure hoard. As amazing as we now find it, the Mountain of Light was one of many immeasurably beautiful stones, diamonds not even being the most desired, with emeralds and rubies holding the top spots.
Conflict and death surround the Koh-i-Noor, with greed, theft, and blood muddying its sparkle. This history seeks to tell its tale with verve and honesty, a worthy and interesting read.
ARC via Netgalley
Conflict and death surround the Koh-i-Noor, with greed, theft, and blood muddying its sparkle. This history seeks to tell its tale with verve and honesty, a worthy and interesting read.
ARC via Netgalley
May 12, 2020
Koh-I-Noor, or the Mountain of Light, is the name of the infamous diamond that now sits in England under the protection of the Queen. Where has it been before, how it got there, and what happened since, is all described in this enriching book of the same name by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand.
The text is divided into two parts, one part written by each of the authors. The first part deals with the history of the diamond as it traveled from the Mughals to the Persians to the Afghans to the Sikhs and finally to the English. The second part comprises of the events that transpired after the diamond went into royal care, and how it was perused by several rulers as the dynasty progressed.
It is a well researched book. Anyone who wants to know everything about the diamond's lifetime is expected to look no where else.
Verdict: Recommended.
The text is divided into two parts, one part written by each of the authors. The first part deals with the history of the diamond as it traveled from the Mughals to the Persians to the Afghans to the Sikhs and finally to the English. The second part comprises of the events that transpired after the diamond went into royal care, and how it was perused by several rulers as the dynasty progressed.
It is a well researched book. Anyone who wants to know everything about the diamond's lifetime is expected to look no where else.
Verdict: Recommended.
February 17, 2024
Kohinoor means "Mountain of Light" in Persian, but it is more commonly known in the West as the brilliant jewel in the center of Queen Elizabeth's coronation crown. When I heard that William Dalrymple was to write a book about a diamond it struck me as an odd topic. I had faith that there would be something of interest and there certainly is.
Little did I know that the stone was the subject of folklore and fable, and an ancient curse. Perhaps it was even the sun god's sacred talisman from the Bhagavad Purana, recovered by Lord Krishna in a cosmic battle. Dalrymple sets out to separate fact from fiction, and to trace the jewel’s journey throughout its history (as best as can be determined).
The stone was likely won from the Delhi Sultanate by the first great mughal Babur in 1526. It was lost by his hapless son Humayun to Safavid Iran, but restored to his great-great grandson Shah Jahan a century later. While building the Taj Mahal and Red Fort, Shah Jahan made it the centerpiece of the Peacock Throne, adorned by the diamond in 1635.
Removed again to Iran by the conqueror Nader Shah in 1739, Kohinoor was detached from the throne, and returned to India by Afghanistan founder Ahmad Shah's grandson. It was wrested away by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire. It became a symbol of Sikh independence and on his death a cause for civil war in the Punjab.
Journalist Anita Anand continues the saga in the second half of this jointly produced history. Why a concise work like this needed to be co-written is something of a mystery, but the literary union is a happy one. Anand describes how the Maharaja's family fought and died for the throne (and stone) until both were lost to the East India Company in 1849.
The diamond and the Maharaja's young son left Lahore for London to languish away in a vanquished existence. A ward of Queen Victoria, he became disillusioned by the loss of his birthright, and ended life early as a dissolute and bankrupt victim of the infamous curse. Displayed in the Crystal Palace, it was recut and set into many crowns and broaches.
The reader is led to a question in recent events. For years groups from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran have tried to reclaim the diamond. In other disputes moral imperatives and aggrieved parties are clearer, such as the plea to restore the Parthenon friezes to their home in Athens. But the return of Kohinoor begs the question: to whom and to where?
Although conflicting claims may nullify each another, they present an opportunity to reflect on how spoils of empire could be redressed in the future. To a 2010 request to relinquish the jewel to India, UK Prime Minister David Cameron replied: “If you say yes to one, you'll find the British Museum empty. I'm afraid it will have to stay put.”
Little did I know that the stone was the subject of folklore and fable, and an ancient curse. Perhaps it was even the sun god's sacred talisman from the Bhagavad Purana, recovered by Lord Krishna in a cosmic battle. Dalrymple sets out to separate fact from fiction, and to trace the jewel’s journey throughout its history (as best as can be determined).
The stone was likely won from the Delhi Sultanate by the first great mughal Babur in 1526. It was lost by his hapless son Humayun to Safavid Iran, but restored to his great-great grandson Shah Jahan a century later. While building the Taj Mahal and Red Fort, Shah Jahan made it the centerpiece of the Peacock Throne, adorned by the diamond in 1635.
Removed again to Iran by the conqueror Nader Shah in 1739, Kohinoor was detached from the throne, and returned to India by Afghanistan founder Ahmad Shah's grandson. It was wrested away by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire. It became a symbol of Sikh independence and on his death a cause for civil war in the Punjab.
Journalist Anita Anand continues the saga in the second half of this jointly produced history. Why a concise work like this needed to be co-written is something of a mystery, but the literary union is a happy one. Anand describes how the Maharaja's family fought and died for the throne (and stone) until both were lost to the East India Company in 1849.
The diamond and the Maharaja's young son left Lahore for London to languish away in a vanquished existence. A ward of Queen Victoria, he became disillusioned by the loss of his birthright, and ended life early as a dissolute and bankrupt victim of the infamous curse. Displayed in the Crystal Palace, it was recut and set into many crowns and broaches.
The reader is led to a question in recent events. For years groups from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran have tried to reclaim the diamond. In other disputes moral imperatives and aggrieved parties are clearer, such as the plea to restore the Parthenon friezes to their home in Athens. But the return of Kohinoor begs the question: to whom and to where?
Although conflicting claims may nullify each another, they present an opportunity to reflect on how spoils of empire could be redressed in the future. To a 2010 request to relinquish the jewel to India, UK Prime Minister David Cameron replied: “If you say yes to one, you'll find the British Museum empty. I'm afraid it will have to stay put.”
Read
September 1, 2020A fascinating and hugely readable history of the Koh-i-noor diamond, which in the way of these things becomes a mini-history touching on Afghanistan (where it came from, which is why the Taliban recently demanded it back in the grounds it had been culturally appropriated, ahaha), the Mughals, then the East India Company and the Empire. William Dalrymple tells the first half, up to the jewel's handover to (or rather glaring theft by) the British; Anita Anand takes over with poor Duleep Singh's life and the jewel's movements to Britain and around various bits of regalia.
Absolutely fascinating, with a metric ton of inviting rabbitholes I now want to go down. How narrative non-fiction should be done.
Absolutely fascinating, with a metric ton of inviting rabbitholes I now want to go down. How narrative non-fiction should be done.
March 2, 2020
Finally a well researched comprehensive book on one of the most famous diamonds in the world. The book traces its journey from the early almost mythical origins to its final resting place today in the Tower of London. One also gets a good insight into the break up of the Sikh empire, the Anglo-Sikh wars and the life and times of Duleep Singh. Interesting read
October 22, 2017
A few months ago, when a famous Indian industrialist – famous more for his debauched lifestyle than for any worthwhile achievements – took asylum in Britain, absconding after his financial crimes were brought to light, a friend of mine made a sarcastic tweet. Paraphrased, it went like ‘Even Mr. ______ seems to know that Britain is the best place to take refuge after looting India.’ For all the hilarity of that tweet, it conceals a sense of bitterness that many generations of Indians feel against the so-called global ‘super power’ that plundered and looted their motherland for almost two centuries in a clinical manner. Sowing dissensions where there were none, widening the chasms where there were only cracks, looting the natural resources, causing one of the worst man-made famines in the history, the so-called Raj did all that and more to loot her colonies, prime among them India. In a cruel twist of irony, one of the most noteworthy items plundered thus now crowns the royalty of England – the Koh-i-Noor!
Almost all of us Indians would have heard of the Koh-i-Noor, along with the Peacock throne, as one of the most precious things robbed from us. If you ever became keen on knowing about the entire story, then I would recommend this book. Such a breathtaking chronicle this turned out to be.
This book is divided into two parts. The first part, deals with the hazy origins of the Kohinoor, its comparison/identification with the mythical Syamantaka gem – associated with Lord Krishna, the arrival of Babar and the transfer of ownership of the stone. Leading us through the Mughal lineage, the history then takes a bloody turn at the hands of the marauding Nader Shah, the Persian who soaked Delhi’s streets in blood. The stone then continues its journey from Persia to Afghanistan, arriving with Ahmad Khan Abdali, the once loyal servant of the now assassinated Nader Shah. Fortunes rise for Ahmad Shah only to fall soon for his descendants. When one of the famed Indian royals – Raja Ranjit Singh – attains the diamond from Shah Shuja under disreputable methods, the Kohinoor comes a full circle in its journey – from India to Persia to Afghanistan to India. Dalrymple ends his portion with the death of the Lion of Punjab.
Picking from where he left, Anita Anand continues in a style that is in no way secondary. Recalling the gore history of Punjab after Ranjit Singh, Anita Anand goes on to recount the regicides, blood feuds and eventual decline of the once-mighty empire into a rudderless ship to be swayed by the wily hands of the East India Company honchos. Prince Duleep Singh, left orphaned, much like his motherland, is whisked away and then removed permanently from his homeland. His uninformed acquiescence with the British, eventual decline and pitiable death form the final few chapters. The passage of the ‘Mountain of Light’ (Koh-i-Noor) through the many hands during this phase and its final arrival in Britain as a ‘gift’ to the Queen Victoria, are all given in such vivid details that you will feel a medley of emotions surging through your mind. The spineless efforts of the Indian government to reclaim the symbol of what was once a glorious ‘Hindustan’ is told in the fading pages.
The pursuit of wealth has almost always blinded humans, making beasts out of even the best among them. Add to it the mystery and aura surrounding something like the Koh-i-Noor, and you have all the ingredients of a disastrous tale in your hands. Disaster the Koh-i-Noor has very well proved to be. Not in the superstitious sense though. The greed and cruelty inherent in each every human being has time and again found unbridled expression in people sitting in the thrones. Things like the Koh-i-Noor have merely thrown light at such blatant behaviours and bloody results. Sadly, this ‘Mountain of Light’ has only managed to leave behind it a trail of darkness and tragedy.
Shashi Tharoor isn’t someone that I thought that I would ever agree with. But when he appreciated this book saying that ‘there is nothing more you need to know about the Kohinoor’, I couldn’t agree more!
A masterpiece indeed!
Almost all of us Indians would have heard of the Koh-i-Noor, along with the Peacock throne, as one of the most precious things robbed from us. If you ever became keen on knowing about the entire story, then I would recommend this book. Such a breathtaking chronicle this turned out to be.
This book is divided into two parts. The first part, deals with the hazy origins of the Kohinoor, its comparison/identification with the mythical Syamantaka gem – associated with Lord Krishna, the arrival of Babar and the transfer of ownership of the stone. Leading us through the Mughal lineage, the history then takes a bloody turn at the hands of the marauding Nader Shah, the Persian who soaked Delhi’s streets in blood. The stone then continues its journey from Persia to Afghanistan, arriving with Ahmad Khan Abdali, the once loyal servant of the now assassinated Nader Shah. Fortunes rise for Ahmad Shah only to fall soon for his descendants. When one of the famed Indian royals – Raja Ranjit Singh – attains the diamond from Shah Shuja under disreputable methods, the Kohinoor comes a full circle in its journey – from India to Persia to Afghanistan to India. Dalrymple ends his portion with the death of the Lion of Punjab.
Picking from where he left, Anita Anand continues in a style that is in no way secondary. Recalling the gore history of Punjab after Ranjit Singh, Anita Anand goes on to recount the regicides, blood feuds and eventual decline of the once-mighty empire into a rudderless ship to be swayed by the wily hands of the East India Company honchos. Prince Duleep Singh, left orphaned, much like his motherland, is whisked away and then removed permanently from his homeland. His uninformed acquiescence with the British, eventual decline and pitiable death form the final few chapters. The passage of the ‘Mountain of Light’ (Koh-i-Noor) through the many hands during this phase and its final arrival in Britain as a ‘gift’ to the Queen Victoria, are all given in such vivid details that you will feel a medley of emotions surging through your mind. The spineless efforts of the Indian government to reclaim the symbol of what was once a glorious ‘Hindustan’ is told in the fading pages.
The pursuit of wealth has almost always blinded humans, making beasts out of even the best among them. Add to it the mystery and aura surrounding something like the Koh-i-Noor, and you have all the ingredients of a disastrous tale in your hands. Disaster the Koh-i-Noor has very well proved to be. Not in the superstitious sense though. The greed and cruelty inherent in each every human being has time and again found unbridled expression in people sitting in the thrones. Things like the Koh-i-Noor have merely thrown light at such blatant behaviours and bloody results. Sadly, this ‘Mountain of Light’ has only managed to leave behind it a trail of darkness and tragedy.
Shashi Tharoor isn’t someone that I thought that I would ever agree with. But when he appreciated this book saying that ‘there is nothing more you need to know about the Kohinoor’, I couldn’t agree more!
A masterpiece indeed!
October 6, 2023
The Koh-I-Noor is one of the most famous (and infamous) diamonds in the world. and its early history has been somewhat cloaked in mystery. This excellent book provides answers to many of the questions about this gem and is divided into two sections; the first being the early history, and the second covers the most contested period of the ownership of this precious jewel.
The Indian sub-continent and surrounding areas were in constant wars and borders were fluid. Countries were often made up of tribes rather than central governments but were also included in Empires. This is the most difficult section of this history as the reader can get confused as to geographic areas. Basically, the diamond was in the possession of the Mughal Empire and through conquest was found in Afghanistan, part of the Durrani Empire. Again, the spoils of war had the diamond moved to the Sikh kingdom which represents India to the modern eye and there it stayed until Britain's East India Company and colonialism raised its ugly head.
The Maharajah was a mere child when the Anglo-Sikh War took place and after the British victory, he signed a treaty in 1849 which turned his country over to the "protection" of the British. Included in this treaty was the surrender of the Koh-I-Noor and off it went to London.
The stone was re-cut several times as the original cut did not show the diamond at its best and it was eventually set into the crown of Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mum) where it remains. It can now be seen by the public with the Crown jewels at the Tower of London.
India has petitioned the UK several times for the return of their historic treasure but to no avail. It is expected that the country will continue to demand its return.
There is so much more in this fascinating book that just can't be captured in a review. Highly recommended.
The Indian sub-continent and surrounding areas were in constant wars and borders were fluid. Countries were often made up of tribes rather than central governments but were also included in Empires. This is the most difficult section of this history as the reader can get confused as to geographic areas. Basically, the diamond was in the possession of the Mughal Empire and through conquest was found in Afghanistan, part of the Durrani Empire. Again, the spoils of war had the diamond moved to the Sikh kingdom which represents India to the modern eye and there it stayed until Britain's East India Company and colonialism raised its ugly head.
The Maharajah was a mere child when the Anglo-Sikh War took place and after the British victory, he signed a treaty in 1849 which turned his country over to the "protection" of the British. Included in this treaty was the surrender of the Koh-I-Noor and off it went to London.
The stone was re-cut several times as the original cut did not show the diamond at its best and it was eventually set into the crown of Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mum) where it remains. It can now be seen by the public with the Crown jewels at the Tower of London.
India has petitioned the UK several times for the return of their historic treasure but to no avail. It is expected that the country will continue to demand its return.
There is so much more in this fascinating book that just can't be captured in a review. Highly recommended.
July 8, 2017
This book is divided into two parts. The first part is written by William Dalrymple, who is an authority on 18th and 19th century India. He tells the story of the Koh-I-Noor diamond from the time Persian Nadu Shah humiliated the Mughal Emperor, sacked Delhi and sized the diamond, the Peacock throne and other jewels. The Mughal Dynasty was of Turkic-Mongol origin and ruled most of Northern India from 16th to mid-18th century. The Shah was murdered and the Afghan King took the diamond. It was then taken by the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh. When the British conquered the Punjab in 1846, the ten-year-old King Duleep Singh gave it to Queen Victoria. It is now in the Tower of London.
Dalrymple makes it clear that the history of the diamond prior to being captured by the Persian Nadu Shah is only based on guess work and fables. The author goes into the relationship the Indians have with gems including culture and religion. Dalrymple states that in ancient times the Indians sifted the diamonds from the sands of stream beds. All diamonds came from India until the 18th century when diamonds were discovered in Brazil.
The author states there were three great diamonds taken from the Mughal Emperor by the Persian Nadu Shah: the Koh-I-Noor is in England, the Darya-I-Noor is in Iran and the Orlov is in the center of the Imperial Scepter of Catherine the Great in Russia.
The second part of the book is written by journalist Anita Anand. She tells the story of King Duleep Singh. Anand sites the history of the diamond in the hands of the British. The author also discusses the characteristics of the diamond. It is thought the diamond came from the Kollur mine in Andhra Pradesh India in the 13th century. It was claimed to be 793 carets and 158.6g uncut and a clear color.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. The authors tell the complicated story drawing on a wide range of literature and memoirs. Koh-I-Noor in Persian means Mountain of Light.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Leighton Pugh does a good job narrating the book. Pugh is an actor, voice over artist and audiobook narrator.
Dalrymple makes it clear that the history of the diamond prior to being captured by the Persian Nadu Shah is only based on guess work and fables. The author goes into the relationship the Indians have with gems including culture and religion. Dalrymple states that in ancient times the Indians sifted the diamonds from the sands of stream beds. All diamonds came from India until the 18th century when diamonds were discovered in Brazil.
The author states there were three great diamonds taken from the Mughal Emperor by the Persian Nadu Shah: the Koh-I-Noor is in England, the Darya-I-Noor is in Iran and the Orlov is in the center of the Imperial Scepter of Catherine the Great in Russia.
The second part of the book is written by journalist Anita Anand. She tells the story of King Duleep Singh. Anand sites the history of the diamond in the hands of the British. The author also discusses the characteristics of the diamond. It is thought the diamond came from the Kollur mine in Andhra Pradesh India in the 13th century. It was claimed to be 793 carets and 158.6g uncut and a clear color.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. The authors tell the complicated story drawing on a wide range of literature and memoirs. Koh-I-Noor in Persian means Mountain of Light.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Leighton Pugh does a good job narrating the book. Pugh is an actor, voice over artist and audiobook narrator.
December 29, 2017
Koh-i-Noor was a fantastic book about a fascinating diamond. Well researched, but chock full of some beautiful storytelling, I was most impressed by how they managed to tackle this subject in a post-colonial world while remaining utterly neutral on the morality of the events that they're chronicling. It was a great way to write as Dalrymple and Anand let none of their prejudices cloud the history of the diamond.
I was entirely absorbed by this and wish I'd read it sooner. Non-fiction can so quickly become dense and bogged down, but Dalrymple's prose for the first half was absolutely riveting. Anand too is an excellent writer, although I must say I preferred Dalrymple's style.
Overall, this was a really fantastic read and one I'll be recommending to everyone, whether they're history buffs or not.
I was entirely absorbed by this and wish I'd read it sooner. Non-fiction can so quickly become dense and bogged down, but Dalrymple's prose for the first half was absolutely riveting. Anand too is an excellent writer, although I must say I preferred Dalrymple's style.
Overall, this was a really fantastic read and one I'll be recommending to everyone, whether they're history buffs or not.
July 5, 2018
This is a shortish and easy to read book, which is generally quite entertaining though a little uneven.
The authors concede there is no hard information about the Koh-i-Noor prior to 1739, when it was first taken from India by Nader Shah of Persia, whose armies captured Delhi and who ransacked the Mughal Treasury. They do however spend two chapters discussing the role of diamonds in ancient and medieval Indian culture. Apparently India was the sole source of diamonds in the world until 1725.
Nader took at least two other comparable diamonds from Delhi. The Darya-i-Noor remains in Tehran to this day. The other, the so-called “Great Mughal Diamond” is thought to be what’s now the Orlov Diamond, purchased on the open market by the eponymous Count Orlov, a former lover of Catherine the Great. He presented it to her in an attempt to get back into favour at court (he did not succeed). It remains in Moscow. It is the Koh-i-Noor though, which became not just a focus of uncontrolled greed and desire, but a symbol of military power and sovereignty, passing from monarch to monarch in a remarkable series of events. When the Sikh monarch Ranjit Singh obtained it from the Afghan Shah Shuja, the latter wished him “Good luck, for he who has possessed it, has obtained it by overpowering his enemies.”
I would say this middle section is the best part of the book. The tale of the Koh-i-Noor is a strange one indeed.
The narrative loses a bit of impetus after the early Victorian period. Essentially the Koh-i-Noor has spent the last 150 years or so sitting in the Tower of London, being brought out every now and then for a coronation ceremony. The authors try to liven things up by discussing the supposed curse attached to the diamond, an idea derived from the fact that, prior to the diamond arriving in Britain, most of its owners came to decidedly sticky ends. They even invent a post-hoc rationalisation to the obvious objection that it hasn’t done the British monarchs much harm, by suggesting that the curse only applies to men (since the diamond came to Britain, it has traditionally only been worn by female members of the Royal Family). Although the authors don’t come straight out and say they believe in the curse, they seem to me to give it too much credence.
The book ends with a discussion about whether the diamond should be returned to either India or Pakistan (both countries have claimed it). Even the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan lodged a claim.
A decent enough read, but for me this fell a bit short of a 4-star rating.
The authors concede there is no hard information about the Koh-i-Noor prior to 1739, when it was first taken from India by Nader Shah of Persia, whose armies captured Delhi and who ransacked the Mughal Treasury. They do however spend two chapters discussing the role of diamonds in ancient and medieval Indian culture. Apparently India was the sole source of diamonds in the world until 1725.
Nader took at least two other comparable diamonds from Delhi. The Darya-i-Noor remains in Tehran to this day. The other, the so-called “Great Mughal Diamond” is thought to be what’s now the Orlov Diamond, purchased on the open market by the eponymous Count Orlov, a former lover of Catherine the Great. He presented it to her in an attempt to get back into favour at court (he did not succeed). It remains in Moscow. It is the Koh-i-Noor though, which became not just a focus of uncontrolled greed and desire, but a symbol of military power and sovereignty, passing from monarch to monarch in a remarkable series of events. When the Sikh monarch Ranjit Singh obtained it from the Afghan Shah Shuja, the latter wished him “Good luck, for he who has possessed it, has obtained it by overpowering his enemies.”
I would say this middle section is the best part of the book. The tale of the Koh-i-Noor is a strange one indeed.
The narrative loses a bit of impetus after the early Victorian period. Essentially the Koh-i-Noor has spent the last 150 years or so sitting in the Tower of London, being brought out every now and then for a coronation ceremony. The authors try to liven things up by discussing the supposed curse attached to the diamond, an idea derived from the fact that, prior to the diamond arriving in Britain, most of its owners came to decidedly sticky ends. They even invent a post-hoc rationalisation to the obvious objection that it hasn’t done the British monarchs much harm, by suggesting that the curse only applies to men (since the diamond came to Britain, it has traditionally only been worn by female members of the Royal Family). Although the authors don’t come straight out and say they believe in the curse, they seem to me to give it too much credence.
The book ends with a discussion about whether the diamond should be returned to either India or Pakistan (both countries have claimed it). Even the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan lodged a claim.
A decent enough read, but for me this fell a bit short of a 4-star rating.
October 30, 2018
I couldn't breathe for several minutes after reading this:
On 16 May, after fifty-seven catastrophic days in Delhi, Nader Shah finally left the city, carrying with him the accumulated wealth of eight generations of imperial Mughal conquest. The greatest of all his winnings was the Peacock Throne, in which was still embedded both the Koh-i-Noor and the Timur Ruby. The loot was loaded on to ‘700 elephants, 4,000 camels and 12,000 horses carrying wagons all laden with gold, silver and precious stones’.
Everything you need to know about the Kohinoor is condensed within the pages of this book and you know that you can believe it. And here's why. Because there are documented facts and references right from the early 14th century backing the information urginh the reader to know that these are not fables or myths.
The Kohinoor's bloody legend is etched across history of the Asian subcontinent and the same is established through tedious research and supported by facts by authors William Dalrymple and Anita Anand, as to how the world's largest diamond was treacherously obtained by the British by getting a meek boy king to sign the Treaty of Lahore; skewed to serve British gains, and how then it made to the royal crown in England.
The accounts that lead to the seize of the legendary diamond by plotting a catastrophic downfall of the Lion King of Punjab, Raja Ranjit Singh's heir and the then king, Duleep Singh get your blood boiling and the efforts made by the Government of recent years to get the sovereign symbol back have only led to mockery by a display of our incompetent capacity as a nation.
This book is not just about Kohinoor's infamous history but that of a nation that was looted of its riches, dignity and freedom, and several times at that.
On 16 May, after fifty-seven catastrophic days in Delhi, Nader Shah finally left the city, carrying with him the accumulated wealth of eight generations of imperial Mughal conquest. The greatest of all his winnings was the Peacock Throne, in which was still embedded both the Koh-i-Noor and the Timur Ruby. The loot was loaded on to ‘700 elephants, 4,000 camels and 12,000 horses carrying wagons all laden with gold, silver and precious stones’.
Everything you need to know about the Kohinoor is condensed within the pages of this book and you know that you can believe it. And here's why. Because there are documented facts and references right from the early 14th century backing the information urginh the reader to know that these are not fables or myths.
The Kohinoor's bloody legend is etched across history of the Asian subcontinent and the same is established through tedious research and supported by facts by authors William Dalrymple and Anita Anand, as to how the world's largest diamond was treacherously obtained by the British by getting a meek boy king to sign the Treaty of Lahore; skewed to serve British gains, and how then it made to the royal crown in England.
The accounts that lead to the seize of the legendary diamond by plotting a catastrophic downfall of the Lion King of Punjab, Raja Ranjit Singh's heir and the then king, Duleep Singh get your blood boiling and the efforts made by the Government of recent years to get the sovereign symbol back have only led to mockery by a display of our incompetent capacity as a nation.
This book is not just about Kohinoor's infamous history but that of a nation that was looted of its riches, dignity and freedom, and several times at that.
January 27, 2022
PEARL RULED 18%
Fascinating details exhaustively footnoted about a spectacularly sparkly booty item ravished from the Mughals by the British. Dalrymple's The Anarchy is very much the big brother of this manageably sized story in tone and tenor. But when a man's dress decisions are characterized as "effete" and his artistic enthusiasms presented within a context of judgment, I lose the desire to keep slugging through the well-sourced and quite interesting, in the abstract, history of the superlative item of Imperial History's ill-got gains.
Others without my very 21st-century woke perspective will not share my eyerolling impatience.
Fascinating details exhaustively footnoted about a spectacularly sparkly booty item ravished from the Mughals by the British. Dalrymple's The Anarchy is very much the big brother of this manageably sized story in tone and tenor. But when a man's dress decisions are characterized as "effete" and his artistic enthusiasms presented within a context of judgment, I lose the desire to keep slugging through the well-sourced and quite interesting, in the abstract, history of the superlative item of Imperial History's ill-got gains.
Others without my very 21st-century woke perspective will not share my eyerolling impatience.
August 20, 2017
Dalrymple has weaved a riveting story of probably the most coveted diamond in the world ever, the might Kohinoor. As a Punjabi, I was thrilled that it graced the great lands of Punjab once, securely tied to the right arm of the great Ranjit Singh. The diamond had many jealous lovers of the centuries, from the mighty Moghuls to the mighty Persian Nadir Shah, the founder of Afghanistan Abdali before ending on the arm of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. East Indian Company eventually secured it with a dodgy deal to present it to Queen Victoria, where it has since stayed. Caged, yet secured maybe for eternity.
Dalrymple is getting really good at narrating a story ever since he moved to India. He can blend a very tasty mixture of facts with myth to keep the reader truly engaged and completely captivated. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Indian and Persian history.
Dalrymple is getting really good at narrating a story ever since he moved to India. He can blend a very tasty mixture of facts with myth to keep the reader truly engaged and completely captivated. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Indian and Persian history.
January 10, 2019
A Colorful legend full of drama,plotting,greed,envy,murder,mayhem and power struggle surrounds the Unparalleled beauty Kohinoor: Mountain of Light.
The book is divided into two parts.The first part deals with the history of the famed diamond and the second part deals with the account,how the jewel taken from a young heir reached the Towers of London.The books starts with the mention of precious gemstones in Indian mythology and their significance in day to day life and their magical abilities. According to Baburnama, the Kohinoor was presented to Babur by the Raja Bikramjit,King of Gwalior.The Mughal history is filled with references to many precious gemstones, the Peacock Throne holds a special place among all other prized possessions.
A heady journey starts when the Warlord Nader Shah plundered Delhi,massacred the masses, looted the famed jewel along with other treasures.But the gem soon exchanged hands and landed in the custody of Emperor Ahmad Shah Durrani. The association of Durrani dynasty with the diamond ended with Shah Shuja handing over the gem to Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore.During the reign of The Lion,the Mountain of Light reached its epitome of prominence.
Kohinoor has witnessed many vile things during the whole period, a mute spectator to rising resentment in families,greed in the heart of royals,debauchery,multiple assassinations and war.Its final passage from Lahore to Britain was the most difficult one and the events that led to its present place are heartening,it bares the helplessness of a young heir and his widowed mother devoid of their kingdom, the cunning vicious mind of colonial rulers and the deplorable condition of a country which lost its most prized gemstone under most unfortunate circumstances.
Written in a simple language,augmented with popular anecdotes,fragments from memoirs,personal letters and diary entries,the text never loses its charm for one.What really struck me is the way, the authors skillfully pieced together the history and presented it in a neutral tone.The paintings and images unfastened the window to the bygone era, the time of unabashed opulence.The writing draws attention towards the stark difference in aesthetic taste of the west and India.The book raises some serious questions which haunted my mind for a long time.
I want to thank both the authors for the amazing piece and would recommend it to every lover of history.
The book is divided into two parts.The first part deals with the history of the famed diamond and the second part deals with the account,how the jewel taken from a young heir reached the Towers of London.The books starts with the mention of precious gemstones in Indian mythology and their significance in day to day life and their magical abilities. According to Baburnama, the Kohinoor was presented to Babur by the Raja Bikramjit,King of Gwalior.The Mughal history is filled with references to many precious gemstones, the Peacock Throne holds a special place among all other prized possessions.
A heady journey starts when the Warlord Nader Shah plundered Delhi,massacred the masses, looted the famed jewel along with other treasures.But the gem soon exchanged hands and landed in the custody of Emperor Ahmad Shah Durrani. The association of Durrani dynasty with the diamond ended with Shah Shuja handing over the gem to Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore.During the reign of The Lion,the Mountain of Light reached its epitome of prominence.
Kohinoor has witnessed many vile things during the whole period, a mute spectator to rising resentment in families,greed in the heart of royals,debauchery,multiple assassinations and war.Its final passage from Lahore to Britain was the most difficult one and the events that led to its present place are heartening,it bares the helplessness of a young heir and his widowed mother devoid of their kingdom, the cunning vicious mind of colonial rulers and the deplorable condition of a country which lost its most prized gemstone under most unfortunate circumstances.
Written in a simple language,augmented with popular anecdotes,fragments from memoirs,personal letters and diary entries,the text never loses its charm for one.What really struck me is the way, the authors skillfully pieced together the history and presented it in a neutral tone.The paintings and images unfastened the window to the bygone era, the time of unabashed opulence.The writing draws attention towards the stark difference in aesthetic taste of the west and India.The book raises some serious questions which haunted my mind for a long time.
I want to thank both the authors for the amazing piece and would recommend it to every lover of history.
February 15, 2017
Written by two brilliant story tellers, tells stories of many who had any nexus with the famous diamond. Not only it covers the story and final destiny of rulers who possessed it, but also stories like it remained with a Molana who used the diamond as paper weight. The book is well researched and have references to books as popular as 'Tuzk e Babri' and as unknown as written by some Afghanistan court officials.
I was surpsied to know that the pracatice of 'sati' was followed among Sikhs as well and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh's four wives alongwith slave girls and thereafter Kharak Singh and Naunehal Singh's wives also had to follow this. This book also solved query why Ahmed Shah Abdali was also know as Ahmed Shah Durrani. He was given title of 'Durr e Durran - pearl of the pearls' by his pir o murshid (May be possession of Koh-i-Noor earned him his title and subsequently name of Durrani tribe).
I did not expect that Anita Anand would carry the journey of the diamond from India to England and subsequent events as interestingly as Dalrymple did from ancinet era of purana till it was surrendered by Duleep Singh to East India company. But that part of the book is equally interesting and encourcages to read about what happend to Duleep Singh's children after his death in Anita Anand's 'Sophia'.
I was surpsied to know that the pracatice of 'sati' was followed among Sikhs as well and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh's four wives alongwith slave girls and thereafter Kharak Singh and Naunehal Singh's wives also had to follow this. This book also solved query why Ahmed Shah Abdali was also know as Ahmed Shah Durrani. He was given title of 'Durr e Durran - pearl of the pearls' by his pir o murshid (May be possession of Koh-i-Noor earned him his title and subsequently name of Durrani tribe).
I did not expect that Anita Anand would carry the journey of the diamond from India to England and subsequent events as interestingly as Dalrymple did from ancinet era of purana till it was surrendered by Duleep Singh to East India company. But that part of the book is equally interesting and encourcages to read about what happend to Duleep Singh's children after his death in Anita Anand's 'Sophia'.
May 14, 2021
William Dalrymple e Anita Anand ricostruiscono la storia del Koh-i-Nur, la montagna di luce, il famoso diamante custodito dalla corona inglese.
È una storia antica, che in parte si perde nel mito perché della vera origine di questa gemma nessuno sa nulla di certo e anche molti dei passaggi di proprietario in proprietario sono misteriosi. Quello che è certo è che è diventato una leggenda e, sebbene non sia più il diamante più grande del mondo, è il più famoso e famigerato!
L'aspetto che più ho apprezzato di questo saggio è che mi ha portata a conoscere eventi della storia dell'Asia che non conoscevo o di cui avevo una cognizione minima.
Vergogna agli inglesi per come si sono procurati il Koh-i-Nur e per la loro politica coloniale nel subcontinente indiano (e non solo!)
[image error]
È una storia antica, che in parte si perde nel mito perché della vera origine di questa gemma nessuno sa nulla di certo e anche molti dei passaggi di proprietario in proprietario sono misteriosi. Quello che è certo è che è diventato una leggenda e, sebbene non sia più il diamante più grande del mondo, è il più famoso e famigerato!
L'aspetto che più ho apprezzato di questo saggio è che mi ha portata a conoscere eventi della storia dell'Asia che non conoscevo o di cui avevo una cognizione minima.
Vergogna agli inglesi per come si sono procurati il Koh-i-Nur e per la loro politica coloniale nel subcontinente indiano (e non solo!)
[image error]
September 18, 2021
History of one of the world’s famous and possibly cursed diamonds from the 18th century on the Indian sub-continent to the present day in the Tower of London.
Original Koh-i-Noor, “Mountain of Light” coming from India
My audiobook was 6 ½ hours long. A dead tree copy would be a slim 265 pages. It had a 2017 UK copyright.
William Dalrymple is a Scottish historian of the history and art of: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Jains and early Eastern Christianity. He is the author of more than ten books. I have read several of them. The most recent being Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan (my review).
This book was co-written by Anita Anand. She is a British, radio and television presenter, journalist, and author. She is the author of two books on Indian history. I have not read anything by the co-author.
This was an intermediate-level work. Having a general knowledge of 18th century India, Victorian history, particularly the history of the East India Company and the run-up to the creation of British Raj would be helpful.
The Koh-i-noor was a symbol of power in the Indian sub-continent. Its history is about 300-years long. Its first historical appearance was in early 18th century during the Mugal Empire. As a symbol of power, it passed from ruler-to-ruler of the many Mugul successor states after the collapse the Empire. Ownership could be brief, and many of the ruler/owners did not die in bed of old age. The diamond gained a reputation of being cursed when owned by unworthy men. As a symbol of power, it was seized by the British during their conquest of India to consolidate it. There, in 1849, it became the property of Her Majesty in England, a move which perhaps side-steps the male, South Asian curse of ownership? In London, the traditional Koh-i-noor was a publicly, disappointing symbol of power. It was re-cut into a western, appealing sparkler (losing many carats). It was the much different looking, from the original Mugul jewel, that is now in the Tower of London Jewel Room. There, in a post-colonial world, its become a symbol of Imperial Looting.
Dalrymple is very British, and very detailed in an Old School way. He is likewise, an accomplished writer. His prose is clean and easily understandable written to convey a maximum amount of information. His descriptions are evocative. He writes in the current style of pro-sumer histories which are more akin to journalistic stories than proper, academic non-fiction. He also embroiders his narratives with anecdotes to provide insight into the places and people around his main discussion. In this case it was from the late Mughal Empire in India to the present day, shortly before publication. This is a talent many historians do not have. I found this additional context to be very helpful in understanding the era and the events. I also must note his many books on South Asia share prose. For example his Return of a King and this book share more than a few paragraphs. Lazy writing that!
Unfortunately, this book appeared to be very Dalrymple to me. I could not detect any great contribution by his co-author.
This was mostly a British history. The preponderance of anecdotes, and excerpts from correspondence, diaries, and biographies were British. However, the authors did include a large amount of information from Persian, Indian and Afghan, period historical sources into the early chapters of the book. This covered about the first 100-years of the diamond’s history. That is, it was not a completely one-sided (British) description of the Koh-i-Noor’s history.
The book was a combination of military and diplomatic history, with the addition of lessons on the organizational behavior of the British East India Company, and historical biographies. The military history was at a high-level. There was some discussion of wars and particular battles on the sub-continent. Diplomatic history received more attention. This was an excellent description of men and women and their motivations for dominion over the Indian subcontinent. The character studies of the folks influencing the course of events: British, Indian, Persian and Afghan were one of the book's strong suites. Many lessor folks were swept along in the wake of the jewel's travels. In some ways their stories were more interesting. The politics and political organization of the multi-ethnic, Mugul Empire and its successor states were well laid out. Betrayals and assassinations abounded. It was an excellent, brief lesson on oriental despotism. The org behavior (politics) of the East India Company are likewise well done. Although, the author skims across the Crown/Company relationship. The greed and duplicity of the British was as perfidious as some of the worst of the previous, South Asian owners of the diamond. That the Company’s politics were a destructive force in India, and which effectively set the Crown’s strategic goals was well demonstrated. The diamond’s Victorian period, while brief gave some insight into the Victorian Royals. Finally, the story also contained a certain amount of the history of gemology, particularly large diamonds.
Having listened to this book, I cannot comment on the maps, illustrations, notes, bibliography and index. That's unfortunate. These are typically important to me when 'reading' and evaluating histories.
The authors follow the Koh-i-Noor diamond through the distinctly oriental interregnum of the fall of the Mughal Empire, through to the ascendency of the British in India and to its current resting place in The Tower of London. The book assumes a small, historical background of Pre-Raj India and into Victorian times. It was somewhat balanced in its narration. I found it very readable as an audiobook. Although, viewing maps and illustrations would have been nice. As it was, this book added somewhat to my understanding of what was the European the ‘Age of Enlightenment’ in Asia. I found it to be a teaser for Dalrymple’s most recent book: The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire . I eventually intend to read that book with my eyes, and not ears.
Original Koh-i-Noor, “Mountain of Light” coming from India
My audiobook was 6 ½ hours long. A dead tree copy would be a slim 265 pages. It had a 2017 UK copyright.
William Dalrymple is a Scottish historian of the history and art of: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Jains and early Eastern Christianity. He is the author of more than ten books. I have read several of them. The most recent being Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan (my review).
This book was co-written by Anita Anand. She is a British, radio and television presenter, journalist, and author. She is the author of two books on Indian history. I have not read anything by the co-author.
This was an intermediate-level work. Having a general knowledge of 18th century India, Victorian history, particularly the history of the East India Company and the run-up to the creation of British Raj would be helpful.
The Koh-i-noor was a symbol of power in the Indian sub-continent. Its history is about 300-years long. Its first historical appearance was in early 18th century during the Mugal Empire. As a symbol of power, it passed from ruler-to-ruler of the many Mugul successor states after the collapse the Empire. Ownership could be brief, and many of the ruler/owners did not die in bed of old age. The diamond gained a reputation of being cursed when owned by unworthy men. As a symbol of power, it was seized by the British during their conquest of India to consolidate it. There, in 1849, it became the property of Her Majesty in England, a move which perhaps side-steps the male, South Asian curse of ownership? In London, the traditional Koh-i-noor was a publicly, disappointing symbol of power. It was re-cut into a western, appealing sparkler (losing many carats). It was the much different looking, from the original Mugul jewel, that is now in the Tower of London Jewel Room. There, in a post-colonial world, its become a symbol of Imperial Looting.
Dalrymple is very British, and very detailed in an Old School way. He is likewise, an accomplished writer. His prose is clean and easily understandable written to convey a maximum amount of information. His descriptions are evocative. He writes in the current style of pro-sumer histories which are more akin to journalistic stories than proper, academic non-fiction. He also embroiders his narratives with anecdotes to provide insight into the places and people around his main discussion. In this case it was from the late Mughal Empire in India to the present day, shortly before publication. This is a talent many historians do not have. I found this additional context to be very helpful in understanding the era and the events. I also must note his many books on South Asia share prose. For example his Return of a King and this book share more than a few paragraphs. Lazy writing that!
Unfortunately, this book appeared to be very Dalrymple to me. I could not detect any great contribution by his co-author.
This was mostly a British history. The preponderance of anecdotes, and excerpts from correspondence, diaries, and biographies were British. However, the authors did include a large amount of information from Persian, Indian and Afghan, period historical sources into the early chapters of the book. This covered about the first 100-years of the diamond’s history. That is, it was not a completely one-sided (British) description of the Koh-i-Noor’s history.
The book was a combination of military and diplomatic history, with the addition of lessons on the organizational behavior of the British East India Company, and historical biographies. The military history was at a high-level. There was some discussion of wars and particular battles on the sub-continent. Diplomatic history received more attention. This was an excellent description of men and women and their motivations for dominion over the Indian subcontinent. The character studies of the folks influencing the course of events: British, Indian, Persian and Afghan were one of the book's strong suites. Many lessor folks were swept along in the wake of the jewel's travels. In some ways their stories were more interesting. The politics and political organization of the multi-ethnic, Mugul Empire and its successor states were well laid out. Betrayals and assassinations abounded. It was an excellent, brief lesson on oriental despotism. The org behavior (politics) of the East India Company are likewise well done. Although, the author skims across the Crown/Company relationship. The greed and duplicity of the British was as perfidious as some of the worst of the previous, South Asian owners of the diamond. That the Company’s politics were a destructive force in India, and which effectively set the Crown’s strategic goals was well demonstrated. The diamond’s Victorian period, while brief gave some insight into the Victorian Royals. Finally, the story also contained a certain amount of the history of gemology, particularly large diamonds.
Having listened to this book, I cannot comment on the maps, illustrations, notes, bibliography and index. That's unfortunate. These are typically important to me when 'reading' and evaluating histories.
The authors follow the Koh-i-Noor diamond through the distinctly oriental interregnum of the fall of the Mughal Empire, through to the ascendency of the British in India and to its current resting place in The Tower of London. The book assumes a small, historical background of Pre-Raj India and into Victorian times. It was somewhat balanced in its narration. I found it very readable as an audiobook. Although, viewing maps and illustrations would have been nice. As it was, this book added somewhat to my understanding of what was the European the ‘Age of Enlightenment’ in Asia. I found it to be a teaser for Dalrymple’s most recent book: The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire . I eventually intend to read that book with my eyes, and not ears.
July 5, 2019
This is a complex historical story that stretches across South Asia, and ultimately to England, tracking the famous Koh-I-Noor diamond. From its discovery a few hundred years ago to its present home in the Tower of London it has been possessed by the rulers of many nations. It is a bloody story of war, theft, murder and appropriation. While it is suggested that the diamond is cursed I believe this curse is best described as human greed.
December 20, 2018
This is a very good history of the diamond. Dalrymple presents all the claimants to the gem but only after providing a good overall history of the gem and those who owned it (who weren't British royals).
April 16, 2017
An amazing story of a jewel that encapsulates the history of an entire subcontinent and its colonial rulers. Researched meticulously and told like a thriller, the authors tell an engaging tale that's full of swashbuckling heroes and anti-heroes, drama and deceit. Perhaps the most heart-rending segment of the book is the tale of Rani Jindan and her son Duleep Singh, the rightful heirs of the "cursed" jewel who were duped by the British into parting with the "Mountain of Light". The Kohinoor is perhaps a fitting metaphor for the entire subcontinent that was decimated by the British's lust for power. In a bid to give the rough but brilliant jewel "sparkle" and "refinement" of British aesthetics, the Kohinoor ended up being a shadow of its real self...what better analogy for a subcontinent that was ruled, looted and decimated by the greed of a tiny island-nation called Great Britain.
June 18, 2017
One of the greatest books I have read on history, with Dalrymple's remarkable storytelling style of writing history in fiction-like way! Tracing history of the diamond Dalrymple has established that the most precious and once largest diamond in the world is 'cursed.' Yes you heard me right! And he has established it through facts you cannot deny! Whoever possessed the diamond ruled India, but also suffered terrible consequences. One after another, maddened kings, slaughtered commoners, sacrificed queens, ruined lives, and devastated cities and provinces. A King blinded with hot needles; grandson of A king had molten lead poured onto his head. It is not just the tale of a very valuable gem: It's is a narrative of greed, ambition, at times abominable stomach-churning violence. Yet it's such an engrossing read, you wouldn't feel like putting it down, once started.
February 4, 2017
"Why did it have to end?", was precisely my thought as I finished the last page in the book. I am being unconventional here by giving away my impression of this book right at the start but it just goes to show how much I appreciated it. Kohinoor - The Story of the World's Most Infamous Diamond is authored by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand and, before I even get to the summary I have to say, it is a must read.
The book is not a mere recitation of what conspired with the diamond, but is supported by valid documentation and references to assist the narrative. The book is divided into two major parts. The first one is a tale narrated by William Dalrymple describing the pre-historical journey of the Kohinoor. He begins with the attempt to trace its origin and ends at the time when it reached the hands of the Mughals. In the second part, Anita Anand tells us how the diamond found its way to its present location, England after being taken away from the possession of the Sikhs.
According to the book, the origin of the Kohinoor or The Mountain Of Light, as translated in Persian, is still uncertain but it is believed to have originated from South India where gems and precious stones of such extravagance were said to have been in use to decorate idols in temples. The Kohinoor, among other brilliant stones, made its way to the Mughal treasury and it was considered to be one of the most valuable possessions. And so bedazzled was Shah Jahan by its size and beauty that he got it embedded in his grand peacock throne. India's gems and diamonds, particularly the Kohinoor, were so popular, that the Afghan ruler, Nadir Shah, couldn't keep his hands off and took the throne, along with the diamond, back to his kingdom.
The story continues further and the fate of the glorious diamond was such that it was tucked away for years in a crack of a prison holding cell and also was ignorantly used as a paperweight before reaching the hands of the Sikh ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. After many deaths and the destruction of the Sikh empire that followed, the diamond was finally taken away by the Britishers from the hands of the boy king, Duleep Singh and was sent off to England, to awe Queen Victoria.
The original diamond is said have a strange shape and it was re cut to its current form after the English didn't find it appeasing enough. As a result, the size of the Kohinoor was compromised. Throughout the course of the journey, the diamond is said to have been auspicious for some, cursed for others. The thought of possessing this brilliant stone was so compelling that it caused conflicts and discord wherever it went, to the extent of bringing entire kingdoms down.
The book is absorbing and retold as accurately as possible, with notes and photographs attached wherever applicable. The narrative is extremely engaging and the reader gets carried away into the mysterious and rich history through India, Persia, Afghanistan and England. History comes alive and it is indeed an enticing tale of the ill famous diamond that now sits in the Tower of London, giving hope to the people of its return to its original land.
I say it again, it is a must read. Highly recommended.
*** This book was sent to me by Juggernaut in exchange for an honest review. ***
The book is not a mere recitation of what conspired with the diamond, but is supported by valid documentation and references to assist the narrative. The book is divided into two major parts. The first one is a tale narrated by William Dalrymple describing the pre-historical journey of the Kohinoor. He begins with the attempt to trace its origin and ends at the time when it reached the hands of the Mughals. In the second part, Anita Anand tells us how the diamond found its way to its present location, England after being taken away from the possession of the Sikhs.
According to the book, the origin of the Kohinoor or The Mountain Of Light, as translated in Persian, is still uncertain but it is believed to have originated from South India where gems and precious stones of such extravagance were said to have been in use to decorate idols in temples. The Kohinoor, among other brilliant stones, made its way to the Mughal treasury and it was considered to be one of the most valuable possessions. And so bedazzled was Shah Jahan by its size and beauty that he got it embedded in his grand peacock throne. India's gems and diamonds, particularly the Kohinoor, were so popular, that the Afghan ruler, Nadir Shah, couldn't keep his hands off and took the throne, along with the diamond, back to his kingdom.
The story continues further and the fate of the glorious diamond was such that it was tucked away for years in a crack of a prison holding cell and also was ignorantly used as a paperweight before reaching the hands of the Sikh ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. After many deaths and the destruction of the Sikh empire that followed, the diamond was finally taken away by the Britishers from the hands of the boy king, Duleep Singh and was sent off to England, to awe Queen Victoria.
The original diamond is said have a strange shape and it was re cut to its current form after the English didn't find it appeasing enough. As a result, the size of the Kohinoor was compromised. Throughout the course of the journey, the diamond is said to have been auspicious for some, cursed for others. The thought of possessing this brilliant stone was so compelling that it caused conflicts and discord wherever it went, to the extent of bringing entire kingdoms down.
The book is absorbing and retold as accurately as possible, with notes and photographs attached wherever applicable. The narrative is extremely engaging and the reader gets carried away into the mysterious and rich history through India, Persia, Afghanistan and England. History comes alive and it is indeed an enticing tale of the ill famous diamond that now sits in the Tower of London, giving hope to the people of its return to its original land.
I say it again, it is a must read. Highly recommended.
*** This book was sent to me by Juggernaut in exchange for an honest review. ***
October 25, 2017
Dalrymple, in his typical riveting style of narration sweeps through myth and history to present the journey of the Kohinoor from the mines where it was rumored to be discovered it its present resting place in the Tower of London. Through this romp, we have fascinating accounts of the Mughals, the Turks, Afghans and of course the Punjab under Ranjit Singh. I somehow felt that this book was more of a teaser to tempt one to pick up his other work - "The Return of the King". I anyways intend to read up a bit more on the Anglo-Sikh wars the Afghan wars which the British ventured into.
Read
September 15, 2022Solid, readable, brief history of the Koh-I-Noor diamond through several rowdy centuries of history. Dalrymple and Anand are both excellent writers and well acquainted with the history they're writing, but the drawback of this history is that its subject is fundamentally passive, with very little personality, and so the book starts to feel like a collection of anecdotes about the people whose hands the Koh-I-Noor passed through rather than a coherent story itself.
By the end of the book you'll definitely want to arrange a jewel heist in the Tower of London, but the really difficult part is deciding where the Koh-I-Noor really belongs: the Mughals looted it from their subject peoples, the Persians looted it from the Mughals, the Afghans looted it from the Persians, the Sikhs looted it from the Afghans, the British looted it from the Sikhs, and all of them treated it as a symbol of empire. Today, India, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan all have competing claims to the jewel, and ceding it to one of them would almost certainly exacerbate existing political tensions. Perhaps the most just solution would be the payment of monetary restitution to the city of Lahore, from which it was stolen, and the return of the jewel itself to the place where it was originally mined, India, as a tribute to Indian independence. But the British won't even cough up the Rosetta Stone or the Elgin Marbles or the Benin Bronzes, so that's never going to happen.
By the end of the book you'll definitely want to arrange a jewel heist in the Tower of London, but the really difficult part is deciding where the Koh-I-Noor really belongs: the Mughals looted it from their subject peoples, the Persians looted it from the Mughals, the Afghans looted it from the Persians, the Sikhs looted it from the Afghans, the British looted it from the Sikhs, and all of them treated it as a symbol of empire. Today, India, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan all have competing claims to the jewel, and ceding it to one of them would almost certainly exacerbate existing political tensions. Perhaps the most just solution would be the payment of monetary restitution to the city of Lahore, from which it was stolen, and the return of the jewel itself to the place where it was originally mined, India, as a tribute to Indian independence. But the British won't even cough up the Rosetta Stone or the Elgin Marbles or the Benin Bronzes, so that's never going to happen.
September 24, 2018
Interesting account of the history behind the Kohinoor diamond. In fact, rather more history than I expected. Not that much is actually known about the Kohinoor and many of the incidents the author related may not actually refer to that particular diamond. It changed hands often and went from India to Afghanistan and back and to Persia and India and back, finally winding up in the hands of the Maharaja of Punjab. These were all results of conquest. When the last Maharaja of Punjab during the second Sikh War lost, the British made the 9-year-old prince cede it to Queen Victoria in England where it remains.
That boy prince, Deepa Singh, also eventually wound up in England as a member of the British upper classes and his life story was really the most interesting one in the book. The diamond itself is associated with a pretty bloody history and has only been worn in England by female consorts or Queens since Victoria. Apparently, Elizabeth II doesn't wear it.
The governments of India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan have all, at one time or another, made requests and efforts to have the stone returned but the British have continually refused. Since currently with the division of India into three separate countries after the British left and the diamond's history of shifting ownership due to conquest, it will probably stay that way.
That boy prince, Deepa Singh, also eventually wound up in England as a member of the British upper classes and his life story was really the most interesting one in the book. The diamond itself is associated with a pretty bloody history and has only been worn in England by female consorts or Queens since Victoria. Apparently, Elizabeth II doesn't wear it.
The governments of India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan have all, at one time or another, made requests and efforts to have the stone returned but the British have continually refused. Since currently with the division of India into three separate countries after the British left and the diamond's history of shifting ownership due to conquest, it will probably stay that way.
March 24, 2017
can't say vintage Dalrymple. He's not that captivating as he normally is. neither this is a historiographical gem one picks to know A-Z about Koh i Noor, as much of the information is folklore and so Dalrymple admits.
overall a good read if one is a history nut and loves Dalrymple's flowing & captivating style. One may find bits of both in it. good if u r travelling and in absolute need of a book. otherwise trust me one can live without it and not have a feel about it.
overall a good read if one is a history nut and loves Dalrymple's flowing & captivating style. One may find bits of both in it. good if u r travelling and in absolute need of a book. otherwise trust me one can live without it and not have a feel about it.
July 17, 2020
Title: Kohinoor: The Story of the World's Most Infamous Diamond
Author: William Dalrymple, Anita Anand
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Juggernaut (10 November 2018)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 20 x 14 x 4 cm
Price: 399/-
The story in a nutshell reads something like this:
1) Alauddin Khilji, came to acquire the stone in an expedition at Warangal in 1310.
2) The stone then kept switching ownership of the succeeding rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. In 1526 Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, from whom he acquired it. Babur makes a mention of the same in Baburnama. After Babur, there is record that it adorned Shah Jahan’s Peacock throne.
3) Nadir Shah invading the Mughals in 1739, obtained stone and christened it ‘koh-i-noor’, which in Persian means mountain of light.
4) Shah was assassinated in 1747 and his empire disintegrated. After his death, the Kohinoor came into the acquisition of one of his generals, Ahmad Shah Durrani. One of his descendents, Shah Shuja Durrani gave the diamond to Ranjit Singh of Punjab, who in return helped Durrani win back the throne of Afghanistan.
5) In 1849, the British conquered Punjab and the Lahore treaty was proclaimed. One term in the treaty stated that: The gem called Kohinoor which was taken from Shah Shuja-ul-Malik by Maharaja Ranjit Singh shall be surrendered by the Maharajah of Lahore to the Queen of England. Lord Dalhousie, in 1851, arranged for the Kohinoor to be presented to Queen Victoria by Duleep Singh, successor of Ranjit Singh. The presentation of the diamond was a grand event organized in Hyde Park, London.
This book talks to you about the trip of a stone which emerged from the alluvial mines of India thousands of years ago, sifted from the sand, and which, as per popular belief, was revered by Lord Krishna. The gem, which would come to be known as the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, wove its way through Indian court intrigues before eventually ending up in the British Crown Jewels by the mid-1800s. Right from around this time, it became an object of interest and study.
This singular piece of stone has left a shadow of blood and slaughter all the way through the course it has taken. It is impracticable to pinpoint when or where the Koh-i-Noor was found. That's what makes it such a mystifying stone. Some even believe that the Koh-i-Noor is, in fact, the celebrated ‘Syamantaka’ stone from the Bhagavad Purana tales of Krishna. Indeed, consistent with Theo Metcalfe's testimony, convention had it that "this diamond was extracted during the lifetime of Krishna".
What we do know for sure is that it wasn't mined at all, but unearthed from a dry river bed, in all probability in south India. Indian diamonds were never mined but found in alluvial deposits of dry river beds. It is a stone that, fable asserts, should be worn either by a female or a deity. To any male, who dares don it, it will only bring devastation. Nevertheless, legend further ascribes to the owner of the Kohinoor, possession of the world and its riches. Consequently, for centuries, kings have fought over its capture and for a large part of the century gone by, four countries- India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Britain, have vehemently contested on who gets to keep it.
Dalrymple affirms that the first record of the Koh-i-Noor dates back to around 1750, following Persian ruler Nader Shah's invasion of the Mughal capital Delhi. Shah pillaged the city, robbing treasures such as the legendary Peacock Throne, embossed with prized stones including the Koh-i-Noor. The Peacock Throne was the most lavish piece of furniture ever carved by the hands of man. It cost four times the cost of the Taj Mahal and had all the better gems gathered by the Mughals from across India over generations. The diamond itself was not predominantly celebrated at the time -- the Mughals favoured coloured stones such as rubies to plain gems.
In this book Anand and Dalrymple work their way through more than four centuries of Indian history to learn the truth about the diamond, “panning the old research” like the Indians who sieved river sand for diamonds, Anand says. And the true history has its share of drama. For Dalrymple, “It’s a perfectly scripted Game of Thrones-style epic. All the romance, all the blood, all the gore, all the bling.” The book, a complete roller coaster of events which would leave you thrilled, shocked, almost creates a blockbuster movie carved out of flowing history.
We get poisonings, bludgeonings, someone gets their head beaten with bricks, lots of torture, one person blinded by a hot needle. There is a rich variety of horror in this book. In one particularly gruesome incident the book relates, molten lead is poured into the crown of a Persian prince to make him reveal the location of the diamond. In an interview Dalrymple says: I think there are two incidents, just for the sheer mayhem that this diamond can cause wherever it goes. One is the story of Shah Rukh, the grandson of Nader Shah, who it turned out didn't have the Kohinoor, being tortured to surrender it. He has paste put on his head, and then they pour molten lead on him. It's just like the end of Daenerys Targaryen's brother in the first season of Game of Thrones. Then there's an extraordinary moment when the Medea takes the stone over to England in Anita's half of the book, and cholera breaks out on the ship. It's like another of my favorite movies, Werner Herzog's Nosferatu, when the plague ship arrives in Amsterdam and rats pour off it. The diamond does seem to leave havoc in its wake.
Dalrymple agrees that disseminating the true history is half the battle. The diamond isn’t likely to leave the Crown Jewels anytime soon. Anand and Dalrymple only hope that their work will do some good by clarifying the true path the infamous gemstone followed—and helping leaders come to their own conclusions about what to do with it next.
As readers, we tend to agree.
Read this book. Its fascinating!
Author: William Dalrymple, Anita Anand
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Juggernaut (10 November 2018)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 20 x 14 x 4 cm
Price: 399/-
The story in a nutshell reads something like this:
1) Alauddin Khilji, came to acquire the stone in an expedition at Warangal in 1310.
2) The stone then kept switching ownership of the succeeding rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. In 1526 Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, from whom he acquired it. Babur makes a mention of the same in Baburnama. After Babur, there is record that it adorned Shah Jahan’s Peacock throne.
3) Nadir Shah invading the Mughals in 1739, obtained stone and christened it ‘koh-i-noor’, which in Persian means mountain of light.
4) Shah was assassinated in 1747 and his empire disintegrated. After his death, the Kohinoor came into the acquisition of one of his generals, Ahmad Shah Durrani. One of his descendents, Shah Shuja Durrani gave the diamond to Ranjit Singh of Punjab, who in return helped Durrani win back the throne of Afghanistan.
5) In 1849, the British conquered Punjab and the Lahore treaty was proclaimed. One term in the treaty stated that: The gem called Kohinoor which was taken from Shah Shuja-ul-Malik by Maharaja Ranjit Singh shall be surrendered by the Maharajah of Lahore to the Queen of England. Lord Dalhousie, in 1851, arranged for the Kohinoor to be presented to Queen Victoria by Duleep Singh, successor of Ranjit Singh. The presentation of the diamond was a grand event organized in Hyde Park, London.
This book talks to you about the trip of a stone which emerged from the alluvial mines of India thousands of years ago, sifted from the sand, and which, as per popular belief, was revered by Lord Krishna. The gem, which would come to be known as the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, wove its way through Indian court intrigues before eventually ending up in the British Crown Jewels by the mid-1800s. Right from around this time, it became an object of interest and study.
This singular piece of stone has left a shadow of blood and slaughter all the way through the course it has taken. It is impracticable to pinpoint when or where the Koh-i-Noor was found. That's what makes it such a mystifying stone. Some even believe that the Koh-i-Noor is, in fact, the celebrated ‘Syamantaka’ stone from the Bhagavad Purana tales of Krishna. Indeed, consistent with Theo Metcalfe's testimony, convention had it that "this diamond was extracted during the lifetime of Krishna".
What we do know for sure is that it wasn't mined at all, but unearthed from a dry river bed, in all probability in south India. Indian diamonds were never mined but found in alluvial deposits of dry river beds. It is a stone that, fable asserts, should be worn either by a female or a deity. To any male, who dares don it, it will only bring devastation. Nevertheless, legend further ascribes to the owner of the Kohinoor, possession of the world and its riches. Consequently, for centuries, kings have fought over its capture and for a large part of the century gone by, four countries- India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Britain, have vehemently contested on who gets to keep it.
Dalrymple affirms that the first record of the Koh-i-Noor dates back to around 1750, following Persian ruler Nader Shah's invasion of the Mughal capital Delhi. Shah pillaged the city, robbing treasures such as the legendary Peacock Throne, embossed with prized stones including the Koh-i-Noor. The Peacock Throne was the most lavish piece of furniture ever carved by the hands of man. It cost four times the cost of the Taj Mahal and had all the better gems gathered by the Mughals from across India over generations. The diamond itself was not predominantly celebrated at the time -- the Mughals favoured coloured stones such as rubies to plain gems.
In this book Anand and Dalrymple work their way through more than four centuries of Indian history to learn the truth about the diamond, “panning the old research” like the Indians who sieved river sand for diamonds, Anand says. And the true history has its share of drama. For Dalrymple, “It’s a perfectly scripted Game of Thrones-style epic. All the romance, all the blood, all the gore, all the bling.” The book, a complete roller coaster of events which would leave you thrilled, shocked, almost creates a blockbuster movie carved out of flowing history.
We get poisonings, bludgeonings, someone gets their head beaten with bricks, lots of torture, one person blinded by a hot needle. There is a rich variety of horror in this book. In one particularly gruesome incident the book relates, molten lead is poured into the crown of a Persian prince to make him reveal the location of the diamond. In an interview Dalrymple says: I think there are two incidents, just for the sheer mayhem that this diamond can cause wherever it goes. One is the story of Shah Rukh, the grandson of Nader Shah, who it turned out didn't have the Kohinoor, being tortured to surrender it. He has paste put on his head, and then they pour molten lead on him. It's just like the end of Daenerys Targaryen's brother in the first season of Game of Thrones. Then there's an extraordinary moment when the Medea takes the stone over to England in Anita's half of the book, and cholera breaks out on the ship. It's like another of my favorite movies, Werner Herzog's Nosferatu, when the plague ship arrives in Amsterdam and rats pour off it. The diamond does seem to leave havoc in its wake.
Dalrymple agrees that disseminating the true history is half the battle. The diamond isn’t likely to leave the Crown Jewels anytime soon. Anand and Dalrymple only hope that their work will do some good by clarifying the true path the infamous gemstone followed—and helping leaders come to their own conclusions about what to do with it next.
As readers, we tend to agree.
Read this book. Its fascinating!
January 11, 2025
petition for britain to return the kohinoor to india (but then they’d have to return all their stolen goods)
“if you say yes to one you suddenly find the british museum would be empty” - david cameron (didn’t think the day would come where i’d be quoting david flipping cameron but here we are i guess)
“if you say yes to one you suddenly find the british museum would be empty” - david cameron (didn’t think the day would come where i’d be quoting david flipping cameron but here we are i guess)
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