Do you know the curse of the Koh-i-noor diamond ? Before its evil cause we will see its history.The Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light) is a 109 carat diamond that was once the largest known diamond in the world. Some say that the Koh-i-noor was originally found more than 5000 years ago, and is mentioned in ancient Sanskrit writings. Historical evidence suggests that the Kohinoor originated in Golconda kingdom, in Hyderabad state of Andhra Pradesh, India one of the world’s earliest diamond producing regions.
At that time it was said to weigh 793 carats, but through some incredibly ham-fisted cutting and polishing by a jeweller named Borgio it was reduced to 186 carats. This further reduced it from 186 carats to its present size of just less than 109 carats.
Pic :The Crown of Queen Elizabeth
Koh-i-Noor the Name
It was the Persian King Nadir Shah who gave the stone its name, which means “Mountain of Light”. Nadir Shah seized this prized possession of the Moghuls when he overran Delhi in 1739. The earlier name of this diamond was Samantik Mani meaning “Prince among diamonds”.
Koh-i-Noor diamond is the largest stone in the crown worn by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
To The British
The most coveted diamond in history, Koh-i-noor passed through the hands of various Indian and Persian rulers who fought bitterly over it from the 14th century onwards.
The British colonial officials found the Koh-i-noor in 1849, in the treasury of the Punjabi capital, Lahore, India. It was later seized by the British as a spoil of war and it became part of the British crown jewels when Queen Victoria became the ‘Empress of India’ in 1877. The Queen Mother’s crown with the Kohinoor is currently preserved in the Tower of London.
The Curse of the Koh-i-noor
It is believed that the Kohinoor carries with it a curse and only when in the possession of a womanwill the curse not work. All the men who owned it have either lost their throne or had other misfortunes befall them. The British are wary of this curse and so far, only Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth have adorned the gem as sovereigns. Since Queen Victoria the diamond has always gone to the wife of the male heir to the throne.
