It's the most famous, and perhaps the oldest diamond in the world. Yes, we are talking of the magnificent Koh-i-noor, which now adorns the crown of the Queen of England.
The diamond belonged to the Delhi sultanate, then headed by Sultan Allaudin Khalji, in the late 13th or early 14th century.
It is believed however that, in the fifteenth century, the diamond belonged to Babur and was known as the Baburnama; it stayed with the Mughal dynasty until it was captured by Nadir Shah.
It was named the mountain of light (which is what Koh-i-noor means) by Nadir who took it from the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah after the capture of Delhi and Agra in 1739.
The Koh-i-noor originally weighed 186 carats but was cut to 108.93 carats when it became part of the British crown jewels. It was surrendered by its last owner, Emperor Ranjit Singh, to Queen Victoria in 1851.
The Koh-i-noor is said to bring misfortune or death to any man who wears or owns it; on the other hand, it bring good luck to any woman who does the same.
Information courtesy: Internetstones.com
Advertisement
