Kohinoor - The story of the World's Most Infamous Diamond by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand

Kohinoor: The Story of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond by William Dalrymple
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An intriguing story of what could be said to be the world's most enigmatic diamond.

The book starts with what could be possibly references to Kohinoor from the early 12th and 13th centuries. During this era it is not clear if the diamond referred to was Kohinoor or some other one.

Most likely from the time of Babur the diamond referred to is the Kohinoor.

The diamond has moved from India to Persia, back to India then to England. The violence always accompanies the transfer of diamond from one hand to another. Practically every owner has lost something precious. Only the duration for which they hold the diamond varies.

The British use skulduggery to take possession of it from a young Duleep Singh the grandson of Ranjit Singh, one of the bravest Sikh and Dalhousie gives it as a present to the Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria is not protected from the black karma that the diamond seems to carry along with it. Prince Albert, her consort dies young leaving a brooding Victoria.

From then on the diamond graces the various crowns or bracelets worn by the British Queen and it looks like it has lost its black karma soon after it was cut into half by Prince Albert to give it the sparkle that it carries today. It has not done as much damage after the cutting.

An interesting history to read.

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