Tracking Kohinoor: Why the priceless diamond is special and who will inherit it next

The death of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, has rekindled the chatter demanding the return of the Kohinoor diamond to India. Hours after the Queen’s death, at her Scottish retreat in Balmoral, was announced on Thursday, social media was abuzz with people’s calls to return the world’s largest and most controversial diamond to its country of origin. However, the coveted diamond — currently set in the Imperial State Crown — is likely to be inherited by the Queen’s daughter-in-law, Camilla (the Duchess of Cornwall), who has been named as the Queen consort of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms by virtue of being the wife of King Charles III.

According to Daily Mail, Camilla will also have Elizabeth II’s priceless platinum and diamond crown placed on her head on King Charles’s coronation. Kohinoor was originally created in 1937 for the coronation of King George VI, and later went to Elizabeth II. The Queen was spotted wearing the crown last for the 2016 State Opening. The Imperial State Crown features 2,868 brilliantly-cut diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emerald and 269 pearls. In a 2018 BBC documentary, Queen Elizabeth II was quoted as saying that not only is the crown very difficult to balance, but it could possibly ‘break her neck’ if she looked down. After her death, Charles has automatically succeeded to the throne.

In February this year, Queen Elizabeth II had announced her “sincere wish” that Camilla should ultimately be known as Queen Consort. At that time, The Daily Mail had carried a report stating that Camilla would be given the Queen Mother’s 1937 crown, containing the Kohinoor diamond, to wear at Charles’s coronation. The official coronation is expected to take place on Saturday.

The Origin And Claims

The Kohinoor, a 105.6-carat dazzling gemstone which literally means “mountain of light,” is a diamond steeped in history. Legend has it that it was mined in India and acquired by Alauddin Khalji, the sultan who ruled over Delhi from 1296 to 1316. Since its discovery in India’s Golconda mines in the 14th century, it changed many hands over the course of centuries. Kohinoor, which means ‘Mountain of Light’, is a large, colourless diamond. The precious gem, which came into British hands during the colonial era, is the subject of a historic ownership dispute and is claimed by at least four countries, including India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. “It has been the subject of conquest and intrigue for centuries, passing through the hands of Mughal princes, Iranian warriors, Afghan rulers and Punjabi Maharajas,” the BBC wrote about its chequered past.

According to some historians, the Kohinoor was handed to the British in 1849 under the terms of a punitive treaty signed with Maharaja of Lahore, following the Anglo-Sikh war. Maharaja Duleep Singh was separated from his mother in 1847 and sent to Britain. All of 10 years old, was made to “give” the diamond to Britain, as per the treaty. It has been part of the British Crown Jewels since then, but continues to be the subject of a historic ownership dispute.

Also read: Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s Longest-Reigning Monarch, dies at 96

Pakistan, which also lays claims on the diamond, believes that it was taken from the Sikh empire of Lahore and that it does not belong to present-day India. Descendants of Maharaja Ranjit Singh have claimed that the diamond is theirs and that they want it back. The Afghans also have reason to believe the Kohinoor belongs to them.

A report in The Guardian from 2000 says that the Taliban had asked the Queen to give the Kohinoor back to Afghanistan as their claims state that Ranjit Singh forced Durranis to surrender it. After Punjab was subjugated in 1849, everything that belonged to the Sikh empire was confiscated and went into the treasury of the British East India Company in Lahore — this included the Kohinoor diamond. The Queen, who was in Britain, received the Diamond in July 1850 and later modified it to fit into the Queen’s crown.

The ‘Blood’ Diamond?

According to folklore, the Kohinoor is believed to be a harbinger of misfortune for male wearers: only God or a woman can wear it without harm. The legend appears to have originated given the Kohinoor’s past, steeped in intrigue, bloodshed and wars. The Daily Mail previously wrote that the crown that has the Kohinoor “has only been worn by female royals… because it is said to be unlucky for men to do so.”

The Brief History of India’s Stand

Soon after Independence, the Indian government made a request seeking the Kohinoor diamond. It believed it was rightfully India’s, but the request was made in vain. According to a report by The Telegraph, a second request was made in 1953, the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. However, the British for the second time refuted India’s claims and said the ownership was non-negotiable. When Queen Elizabeth II visited India in 1997 to mark 50 years of Independence from Britain, many Indians demanded that the she return the diamond then.

In the late 1900s, former Indian high commissioner to the UK, Kuldip Nayar, moved a petition in the Rajya Sabha, demanding the return of the diamond. It was signed by 50 MPs, including Manmohan Singh, who was then the Opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha. The request, however, went nowhere.

In 2000, a few members of the Parliament signed a letter, demanding the diamond be given back. The letter claimed that it was taken illegally. Britain, however, said that the ownership of the diamond was impossible to trace as there were myriad claims over it.

In April 2016, India got close to getting some closure on the treasured diamond after the government told the Supreme Court that it was neither stolen nor was it forcible taken. The Centre said that the Kohinoor diamond was handed over to the Queen of England as per a legal agreement and it was not right for India to stake claims on the diamond as it was rightfully handed over to the British as per the treaty that Ranjit Singh signed.

Under the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972, the only items the Archaeological Survey of India can retrieve are those that were illegally exported out of the country and this excluded items that were taken out before independence.