afghanistanIndia. The diamond was originally acquired by the Khalji Sultans of Delhi
from a defeated Hindu Raja and became the centrepiece of the imperial
crown. Later it became part of the crown jewels of the Lodhi dynasty and,
following their defeat at Panipat, it was surrendered to Zahir al-Din Babur,
founder of the Mughal dynasty. Subsequently Shah Jahan set the Koh-i Nur
as one of the eyes of his famous Peacock Throne. For the Muslim rulers
of Delhi the Koh-i Nur was a symbol of sovereignty over northern India:
indeed it was said that the king who possessed this diamond would rule
the world. Subsequently the Koh-i Nur was passed down the Durrani royal
line until Ahmad Shah’s grandson, Shah Shuja‘ al-Mulk, was forced to hand
it over to the Sikh Maharaja, Ranjit Singh. In 1849, following the defeat
of the Sikhs and the break-up of their kingdom, the East India Company
acquired the diamond as booty. It was eventually recut and set into a tiara
and then a circlet for Queen Victoria. It is now set in the crown formerly
worn by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
Some Afghan historians have attempted to legitimize the acquisition
of the Koh-i Nur by claiming it was gifted to Ahmad Shah by Nadir Shah’s
‘queen’, presumably Chuki, as a reward for protecting her from being raped
by the Persian soldiers. However, there is no contemporary evidence to
support this claim. Indeed Ahmad Shah took the diamond and signet
ring fully aware of their significance. The Koh-i Nur represented Muslim
sovereignty over northern India, while Nadir Shah’s signet ring symbolized
sovereignty over Persia, two empires which for more than two-and-a-half
centuries had subjugated the ‘Abdali tribes of Kandahar and Herat. Ahmad
Shah’s acquisition of these symbols of regal power can therefore be seen
as the first act in his bid to re-establish the Saddozai’s sovereignty and
independence and to provide legitimacy for his dynasty.
The Koh-i Nur
diamond before it was
recut and in its originl
setting with the silk
sash which bound the
jewel to the arm of the
monarch.