The Kohinoor originated in India’s Golconda region and quickly became a symbol of supreme authority
From Shah Jahan’s imprisonment by Aurangzeb to Nadir Shah’s sack of Delhi, nearly every male owner of the Kohinoor faced violent ends
Taken from child ruler Maharaja Duleep Singh after the British annexation of Punjab, the Kohinoor remains part of the British Crown Jewels today
The Kohinoor, a precious diamond, is not merely a gemstone. It is a witness to centuries of ambition, betrayal, conquest, and collapse. Today, it sits as part of the British Crown Jewels, adorning the crowns worn by queens of England. But long before it became a symbol of imperial prestige, the Kohinoor carved a violent path through the courts of South Asia, Persia, and Afghanistan, earning a reputation as one of the most “cursed” diamonds in history.
Weighing 105.6 carats in its current form, the Kohinoor means “Mountain of Light” in Persian. The diamond has been linked to fallen empires, murdered rulers, and shattered dynasties. It has travelled across vast regions before reaching Britain. Many questions surround its supposed curse, especially why men are believed not to wear the diamond.
The exact location and time of the Kohinoor’s origin are unknown and lost to antiquity, but most historians trace its origins to the Kollur mines of the Golconda region, in present-day Telangana. References to a massive, brilliant diamond appear in historical records as early as the 13th century, during the reign of the Kakatiya dynasty.
In its natural state, the diamond weighed approximately 186 carats, an extraordinary size that immediately elevated it from ornament to a symbol of supreme power. Its exceptional beauty and purity made it unlike any other known diamond. From the outset, it was never treated as mere jewellery. Instead, the Kohinoor became a political object—one that conferred legitimacy, dominance, and divine favour.
The diamond’s first major recorded transfer came during the Delhi Sultanate, when it was seized by Alauddin Khilji following his campaigns in southern India. Khilji’s rise itself was rooted in bloodshed—he murdered his uncle, Sultan Jalal-ud-Din, to claim the throne.
Under the Mughals, the Kohinoor reached the height of its splendour. Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, mentioned the stone in the Baburnama. It later passed through successive Mughal rulers, eventually becoming a prized possession of Shah Jahan, the emperor who built the Taj Mahal.
Shah Jahan embedded the Kohinoor into his legendary Peacock Throne, transforming the diamond into a global emblem of imperial wealth. Yet his ownership marked the beginning of one of the most infamous betrayals in Indian history.
In 1658, Shah Jahan fell gravely ill. His son Aurangzeb exploited the moment, launching a brutal war of succession. He defeated his brothers, seized the throne, and imprisoned his own father in Agra Fort.
Shah Jahan spent his final eight years confined, gazing at the Taj Mahal from a distant window, while Aurangzeb claimed the Kohinoor as proof of his authority. Aurangzeb ruled the empire for a long period, but his reign remains polarising. Many historians argue that it was marked by rebellion, instability, and the gradual weakening of the Mughal Empire, setting the stage for its decline.
In 1739, Nadir Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty, invaded Delhi. After defeating the Mughal army at Karnal, he entered the city and looted it extensively. Suspecting that Emperor Muhammad Shah had hidden the diamond in his turban, Nadir Shah proposed a ceremonial exchange of headgear as a gesture of “friendship.” When he discovered the gem, he reportedly exclaimed “Koh-i-Noor!”, giving the diamond its enduring name.
Soon after, following rumours that his soldiers had been killed, Nadir Shah ordered a massacre. For nine hours, his troops slaughtered Delhi’s residents, killing an estimated 30,000 people. Nadir Shah himself was assassinated eight years later in 1747. His successors were blinded, deposed, or murdered, continuing the diamond’s grim pattern.
The Kohinoor next passed to Ahmad Shah Durrani, and later to Shah Shuja Durrani, who fled internal conflicts in Kabul. Desperate for protection, Shah Shuja surrendered the diamond to Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab in 1813.
Ranjit Singh became the owner of the diamond, but his empire soon unravelled after his death in 1839. His heirs died under mysterious circumstances, including poisonings, accidents, and assassinations.
In 1849, after the Second Anglo-Sikh War, the British East India Company annexed Punjab. The last Sikh ruler, Maharaja Duleep Singh, was just 10 years old.
Under the Treaty of Lahore, the child king was forced to sign away his kingdom and the Kohinoor to the British Crown. The diamond was shipped to England and presented to Queen Victoria in 1850.
Displayed at the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Kohinoor disappointed British audiences accustomed to modern brilliance. In response, Prince Albert ordered it to be recut. The process reduced the diamond from around 186 carats to 105.6 carats, sacrificing nearly 42% of its original weight. While its sparkle increased, many historians regard this as an act of cultural vandalism, erasing centuries of Asian craftsmanship.
By the time the British acquired the diamond, its reputation was well known. An old Hindu inscription warned “He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or a woman can wear it with impunity.”
From Queen Victoria onward, the Kohinoor was worn only by women—Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother). No reigning British king has ever worn it. It currently remains mounted in the Queen Mother’s Crown, housed at the Tower of London.
Since independence, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran have all laid claim to the Kohinoor. The UK has consistently refused repatriation, arguing that competing claims make its return impractical.
Whether one believes in curses or coincidence, the Kohinoor’s history is undeniable. Nearly every male ruler who seized it met a violent end or lost his empire. Today, the Kohinoor glitters under museum lights—but its brilliance cannot erase the centuries of blood, betrayal, and conquest embedded within it.
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