History of Koh-i-Noor|Mountain of light|

"History of Koh-i-Noor" 

"Mountain of light" over the last 170 years this rare diamond had been decorating the Crown of the Royal Queen.The Koh-i-Noor has been priceless to-date.Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had also asked the British government to give back this diamond but they refused.
Now the question is that Koh-i-Noor was discovered in India but how it became beauty of the UK Royal Crown 5000 miles away?
Many kings fought for the possession of this rare daimond and still five countries lay claim on it.The Koh-i-Noor was discovered as the largest diamond of the world.But today it is ranked at 90 in the largest diamonds of world.
The Koh-i-Noor weighed 106 karats while the largest one the 'Star of Adam' weighs 1404 karats.Although the Koh-i-Noor is much less in weight yet its popularity is much more than the Star of Adam.
No-one exactly knows as to when, how and where from the Koh-i-Noor was found but presumably...it was found out from the Koh-in-Noor mines in the North of India.
According to another presumption, it was found out from the dry surface of a river in Northern India.There is no diamond mine in India where diamonds are found by way of filtering the river stones.Hindus believed that Raja Karna of Anga Sultanate owned this diamond.While the Iranian believed that the Diamond Koh-i-Noor was identical to Daria-i-Noor with them and Iranian Emperior Afrasiab used to put on this diamond.Daria-i-Noor is a 36 grams heavy pink coloured diamond that is with the Central Bank of Tehran at present.
History shows Sultan Alauddin Khilji had snatched the Koh-i-Noor from the Raja of Malwa, Mahala Dev in 1305.Later this diamond disappeared from the record of the history.
In the 16th Century Raja of Gwalior Bikramajit was holding the Koh-i-Noor.Raja Bikramjit fought for Ibrahim Lodhi in the first battle of Panipat in 1526.Bikramjit and Ibrahim Lodhi both lost their life in this battle.But families of both were safe and sound at the Fort of Agra at that time.The conqueror Zaheeruddin Babar sent his son Humayan to Agra to control the situation.In Agra the historians once again found the mention of Koh-i-Noor.The family of Bikramjit handed over this diamond to Humayun.Humayun presented the Koh-i-Noor to his father when he reached Agra but Babar gifted it back to his son.Humayun went to Iran with this diamond in 1540 when Sher Shah Suri defeated him.Impressed by the hospitality of the Iranian King Tahmasp, Humayun gifted him the Koh-i-Noor.Two years later the Iranian King sent this diamond as gift to the Sultan of Deccan Burhan Nizam Shah.Jumla, the minister of Deccan's part Golconda, gave the diamond to Shah Jehan when the Mughal attacked.
Thus the Koh-i-Noor once again reached the hand of the Moghuls.Shah Jehan refused to give the Koh-i-Noor and other valuables to his son Aurangzeb when he deposed him.
When Aurangzeb asked for this treasure Shah Jehan said, he would prefer to crush it instead of giving you.Aurangzeb became quiet and Shah Jehan retained the Koh-i-Noor with till his death.After the demise of Shah Jehan in 1666, the Koh-i-Noor came into the possession of Aurengzeb.He also showed this diamond to a French historian, Tavernier.In his book, Tavernier had pointed out the Koh-i-Noor defective by a very small crack in its bottom.
The Mughals retained the custody of the Koh-i-Noor even after the death of Aurangzeb.
In 1739 when Iranian Emperor, Nadir Shah Durrani occupied Delhi he also took hold of the Koh-i-Noor.When Nadir Shah this precious stone he cried in excitement, "it is Koh-i-Noor;" the "Mountain of Light".
The Koh-i-Noor so much suited this diamond that it became its permanent name.
After the assassination of Nadir Shah Durrani, the ruler of Iran Shahrokh Mirza secured the Koh-i-Noor but later an Iranian Prince Salman Shah overthrew the govenment of Shahrokh Mirza.Shahrokh was imprisoned in Kandahar and was tortured to recover the Koh-i-Noor from him.Salman Shah wanted to adorn the Shrine of Imam Raza (RA) with the Koh-i-Noor.
But Shahrokh Mirza sent this diamond to Ahmad Shah Abdali through his son, Nadir Mirza.After Ahmad Shah Abdali died the Koh-i-Noor passing through many hands reached his grandson Zaman Shah.
In 1801 Mahmud Shah Durrani ended the rule of Zaman Shah and wrested the Koh-i-Noor from him.Durrani bricked the Koh-i-Noor in a wall.Two years later Shah Shuja came to power and he took away the Koh-i-Noor from Mahmud Shah.
History shows the rulers in a state of permanent restlessness and their fighting for power.Fiver years later, Ahmad Shah Durrani defeated Shah Shuja and again become the ruler.Shah Shuja moved to India but he was arrested by the Afghan soldiers in Kashmir.
The wife of Shuja, Waffa Begum, managed to save her life and reached Lahore.She appeared before Raja Ranjit Singh and offered him the Koh-i-Noor if he would help release her husband.Raja Ranjit got Shuja released from the Afghans' prison. Shujaat and Waffa were now living in Lahore.But they did not hand over the Koh-i-Noor to Raja Ranjit Singh.Rather they pretended the diamond had been mortgaged with a person in Kandahar for Rs. 60 million.This answer highly infuriated Ranjit Singh so he imprisoned Shuja and his family in Mubarak Heveli.Finding no way out, Shah Shuja promised Ranjit Singh of giving him the Koh-i-Noor.Raja Ranjit Singh reached the Haveli on the fixed day but Shah Shuja kept him on wait for an hour.When Ranjit ran out of patience he ordered Shuja his servant to bring the Koh-i-Noor.So Shuja handed the Koh-i-Noor over to Raja Ranjit Singh. Ranjit Singh asked the price of this diamond. Shah Shuja replied, power was its price. My forefather got it through power and you did the same.
So whoever was the powerful, would get it from you.Afterwards Ranjit Singh arranged a grand Court with illuminations everywhere.He placed the Koh-i-Noor in a floral ring between the two diamonds half of its volume.Two hours before his death, Ranjit Singh got fetched the whole stock of ornaments and pass the will that...
the Koh-i-Noor should be affixed to an idol at the temple of Jagannath in North Bengal.

But soon after the death of Ranjit Singh, his heirs took the Koh-in-Noor into their possession.
Subsequently, this diamond changed many hands and in the end reached the last Maharaja of Punjab Dalip Singh.The British East India Company had established rule in Punjab between 1848 to 1849.The Britishers through an agreement removed the 9-year-old Dalip Singh and got the Koh-i-Noor as gift.This diamond was given to Lord John Lawrence who put it in a box and placed it somewhere in his house.After some days, the Company asked Lawernce to send the Koh-i-Noor to Queen Victoria in British.But it went out of his mind where he had put the diamond.On his order a servant searched for the diamond all over the house and at last found out in a box.When Lawrence asked the servant what was inside the box he replied, a useless piece of glass was there.Then Lawrence recalled that it was the same box he put the diamond in but forgot later on.Lawrence sent the Koh-i-Noor to Britain.
In July 1950 Deputy Chairman of the Company formally presented it to the Queen at the Buckingham Palace.Over two million people saw the Koh-in-Noor in the exhibition held in London on May 1,1851.The condition of Koh-i-Noor had much deteriorated with yellow specks in the middle; one most eminent.
On the order of Prince Albert in 1852,the Koh-i-Noor was cut that curtailed its weight to only 21 grams.
First of all, Queen Victoria wore it as a armlet.After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, this diamond decorated the crown of every British Queen.

Last time it was studded in the Crown of mother Queen of the Present Britich Queen.When the Mother Queen died in 1902, this Crown was placed on her coffin.Later it was never made public and now it is preserved in the Tower of London.
Five countries are still in a tug-of-war to own the Koh-i-Noor.They are Pakistan, India, Iran and Afghanistan claim its ownership.While Britain has categorically refused to give it to any.In respect to this diamond, India has changed its stand of late.In 2016, Indian government told the Apex Court that this diamond was not taken away but it was gifted to the UK.The legal heirs of Dalip Singh also claim ownership of the Koh-i-Noor.
Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had also demanded return of Koh-i-Noor in 1976 but the UK refused.During the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, to Pakistan in 1997, the return of Koh-i-Noor was again demanded.But the diamond is being factually owned by the British government so far.