KOH-I-NOOR: The History of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond!
By William Dalrymple and Anita Anand 335 pp, Hardbound , Bloomsbury
Well, as an Indian, it perhaps is a given that I would be a tad fascinated by the ‘Kohinoor’ diamond. Added to this, is the great love I have for history as a subject since I was a child. Sometimes , I think this love is genetic! My late maternal grandfather, Professor Ghanashyam Dash was an eminent historian and archaeologist. A graduate from London University, he taught in the reputed Ravenshaw College, Cuttack. I never saw him because he passed away much before my parents got married. My father, who was his student, often told me about him; it seems , students from diverse streams and other colleges, would flock to his class when he would teach the French Revolution—such was his story telling panache ! Later on, he became the Principal of Gangadhar Meher College ( Sambalpur) & Fakir Mohan College ( Balasore).
Before, I start talking about the book, I so wanted to share that I saw the Kohinoor on my first trip to London, a lon time back, when I was just 9 yeas old. However, my young age didn’t deter me from proclaiming pretty loudly and determinedly to the hapless guide in the Tower of London that ‘you stole the diamond from us’ J
The book dispels many myths about the Kohinoor which means ‘Mountain of Light’ in Persian. The most widely believed myth is that it is the biggest diamond! In reality, it’s actually the 9oth , whittled down to almost half its original size and sparkling currently in the Queen of England’s crown.
Written jointly by William Darylmple and Anita Anand, the history of India is told via the adventures of this stone. It’s an enjoyable romp a la Indiana Jones style! The first known appearance of the Koh-i-Noor is in the famous Peacock Throne of the Mughal emperor in Delhi, but it was plundered by a Persian warlord named Nader Shah. A hundred years later, the diamond was the proudest possession of Ranjit Singh, the Sikh warrior King who dominated the Punjab in the early half of the 19th century. After his death, the then Governor-General, Lord Dalhousie, craftily descended on Ranjit Singh’s kingdom and in 1849 his youngest son, 10-year-old Duleep Singh, was forced to sign a paper ceding his possessions, including the Koh-i-Noor, to the East India Company. The diamond was sent to Queen Victoria and treated as the total, complete subjugation of India and dominance of the British in the sub-continent. Though, Duleep Singh, converted to Christianity and was brought to England, to become a favorite of Victoria’s, the Kohinoor never returned to him. Rather in a humiliating and pitiable situation he offered the Queen the Kohinoor stating “It is to me, Ma’am, the greatest pleasure thus to have the opportunity, as a loyal subject, of myself tendering to my Sovereign — the Koh-i-Noor.”
Throughout its existence, the Kohinoor did not/has not brought happiness or peace or prosperity to any of its owner. Nader Shah was convince that his son was trying to kill him and ordered him to be blinded and his eyes displayed on a platter. The ship carrying to London was battered by terrifying storms and its crew and passengers were hit by cholera.On the day it arrived in London, Queen Victoria was hit on the head with a cane by a deranged former army officer.
Now, India, Pakistan and even Afghanistan making a demand that the Kohinoor be returned which doesn’t seem to be likely at all. The diamond was last seen in public at the funeral in 2002, of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother , where her crown, with the Kohinoor in the centre, was placed on her coffin. The next likely public appearance is believed to be ( whenever it happens) as the future new queen consort ie Camilla Parker Bowles wife of the future King Charles III.
A question which the authors asked and I found relevant is of imperial looting. What does one do with all the goodies that colonizing powers carried away from the subjugated lands ? In the modern era, do we demand them back ? Much like the Black Lives matter debate and the tearing down of statues, buildings etc named after erstwhile colonizing ‘heroes’ ? Think Cecil B Rhodes? Well ,honestly, my personal opinion is that we need to learn from history…bringing back the Kohinoor is not going to erase the years of subjugation, humiliation. I’d rather it stay there as a reminder to everyone about the evils of war, colonization and unnecessary thirst for power.
All in all, an entertaining read, and mincing-no-words-look at history, with some great anecdotes! My personal favorite was the life size mechanical tiger made by Tipu Sultan, which gnawed at the throat of a dummy British soldier/officer, who groaned as the tiger sank its teeth :-- ) How absolutely hysterical! Toot, Toot!
Rating: 3.5 *
Ps: I bought this book from a second hand bookshop—it was in very good condition, almost new in fact and it cost me just Rs 250 !
Book review by:SunheriSufi
To buy the book click the link below:-
KOH-I-NOOR: The History of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond
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