The Most Controversial Diamond On The Earth
Does It Really Carry A Curse Or …?
Have you ever heard about a beautiful thing which has been associated with a curse in reality? Yes, in reality! Undoubtedly, there are tons of strange and weird things existing on this mysterious sphere. And out them is one of the most beautiful Diamonds – Koh-i-noor.
Talking about the gems, there are many answers which hassle in our mind like ruby, emerald, topaz, sapphire, diamond, etc. But this gem is the ultimate, the rarest and the most precious stone which has been linked with bizarre yet mystifying history.
Koh-i-noor is a Persian word which means the Mountain Of Light.
The history of Koh-i-noor is not as simple as you think. This diamond has witnessed many wars and blood massacres. No one knows the origin of this diamond. According to some sources it is said that diamond was extracted from the Golkonda mines in India. Also according to some legends, Koh-i-Noor is linked with one of the similar jewel - Syamantaka Mani in Indian Mythology, which has refrence in the Epic of Mahabharata.
While searching for the information about this puzzling object on internet, in many articles, I came across some strange information. Some myths states that, the diamond should be only wear by God or a woman with impunity. But if same worn by men, it proves to be a curse for him. You must be thinking that such things seems like a fairy tale. But let me tell you that all those kings who have had the possession of diamond have suffered from miseries and struggles.
History In Short
It started from Babur, where he had made first reference about Koh-i-noor in Baburnama, and after that we had seen it in the most famous Peacock throne of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. In 1732, the Nader Shah took the Peacock Throne from Mughals. He also massacred around 50,000 people, during that invasion to India. After that Nader Shah was betrayed and was killed by one of his men. From Nadir Shah the diamond went to Ahmed Shah Abdali, and from him it was finally reached to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. After the 2nd Anglo-Sikh war Maharaja Duleep Singh gave the Koh-i-noor diamond to East India Company (in the treaty of Lahore). From Lahore it went to England. Finally, it was handed over to the Queen Victoria. Today it is safely kept in the Tower of London.
What’s that strange in the Diamond?
It has been, allegedly, said that the diamond is cursed and what backs this myth is the history linked with it. Whatever the Empire had, the possession of it has witnessed downfall in its era.
William Dalrymple, in his book, Koh-I-Noor – The History Of The World’s Most Infamous Diamond, says, “Its owners have variously been blinded, slow-poisoned, tortured to death, burned in oil, threatened with drowning, crowned with molten lead, assassinated by their own family and bodyguards, or have lost their kingdoms and died in penury. Even inanimate objects associated with the gem seem to have been struck down –witness the cholera epidemic and storms that nearly sank Medea as it brought the Koh-i-Noor to England, scything through passengers and crew”.
Thoughts
How come such a beautiful thing can hold so many mysteries which have rather proved to be cursed for many. You can imagine that a single diamond went to so many people and so many places. Indeed, it holds many beliefs and stories in itself.
Sometimes beautiful things come with a price. For you never know, which thing holds what story behind it.
Even if we consider that history associated with it could be just a mere coincidence, many things still remains unexplainable to a larger extent.
