An Indian mannequin exhibits a reproduction of the well-known Indian diamond Kohinoor throughout a press assembly in Calcutta, 29 January 2002. Credit score – DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP by way of Getty Photos
Shortly after British monarch Queen Elizabeth II handed away on Sept. 8, the phrase “Kohinoor” started trending on Indian Twitter.
It was a reference to one of many world’s most well-known gems. The Kohinoor diamond is only one of two,800 stones set within the crown made for Elizabeth’s mom, often known as the Queen Mom—however the 105-carat oval-shaped sensible is the proverbial jewel within the crown.
In India, it’s infamous for the way in which wherein it was acquired by the British.
The historical past of the Kohinoor
When it was mined in what’s now modern-day Andhra Pradesh, through the Kakatiyan dynasty of the Twelfth-14th centuries, it was believed to have been 793 carats uncut. The earliest report of its possession places it within the fingers of Moguls within the sixteenth century. Then the Persians devoted it, after which the Afghans.
The Sikh Maharajah, Ranjit Singh, introduced it again to India after taking it from Afghan chief Shah Shujah Durrani. It was then acquired by the British through the annexation of Punjab. The East India Firm bought maintain of the stone within the late 1840s, after forcing the 10-year-old Maharajah Dunjeep Singh to give up his lands and possessions.
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The corporate then introduced the gem to Queen Victoria. Prince Albert, her consort, requested for it to be recut and it was set within the crowns of Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary earlier than being positioned within the Queen Mom’s crown in 1937.
The Queen Mom wore a part of the crown at her daughter’s coronation in 1953. The Kohinoor has been among the many British crown jewels since then, however governments in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India have all laid declare to the diamond.
Britain’s controversial possession of the Kohinoor diamond
Whereas no plans for the way forward for the gem have been disclosed, the prospect of it remaining within the UK has prompted many Twitter customers in India to demand its return.
“If the King will not be going to put on Kohinoor, give it again,” wrote one.
One other said the diamond “was stolen” by the British, who “created wealth” from “dying,” “famine” and “looting.”
It’s not the primary time that the diamond’s return has been sought. Upon India’s independence in 1947, the federal government requested for the diamond again. India made one other demand within the yr of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. These calls for fell on deaf ears, with the UK arguing that there aren’t any authorized grounds for the Kohinoor’s restitution to India.
British-Indian creator and political commentator Saurav Dutt says the possibilities of the UK returning the jewel are slim.
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True, the British not too long ago facilitated the return of the Benin Bronzes—72 artifacts looted by British troopers within the nineteenth century—to the Nigerian authorities. However Dutt says the British royal institution remains to be “married to this romantic model of empire, regardless that it’s lengthy lifeless, and has misplaced its energy.” The Kohinoor is an emblem of that energy, Dutt argues, and in turning it over, he believes the Royals “would principally be eviscerating themselves.”
On the very least, King Charles III should acknowledge the “black historical past” of the Kohinoor diamond, Dutt says.
“A recognition of the truth that it was obtained via stealth and deception can be a major step at this stage, that lays the groundwork for the following technology to have the ability to give it again,” he tells TIME.
Many Indians might not have that endurance. Within the wake of the Queen’s dying, there may be solely one demand on Indian Twitter: “Now can we get our #Kohinoor again?”