In the East if one prince or potentate, or even a person of lower degree, wishes to pay a marked compliment to another, he after extolling the extreme elegance and richness of the other’s turban, whilst deprecating the value of his own, proposes as a mark of friendship and regard that they shall exchange turbans. In the more sordid West there might be some economic souls who would not wear their best head-gear when such interchanges of courtesies were imminent, but in the East the turban is a social insignia, and the higher a person’s degree the more magnificent his turban. Consequently, when two kings meet each other at dinner or other State occasions, it may safely be conjectured that they will wear their most magnificent turbans, each trusting that his own will outvie that of the other. Even an exchange which might entail a sensible loss would not be without its compensations, for all the courtiers on the other side would extol the magnificence and richness of the late possessor.
Mahomed Shah very naturally did not for a moment foresee that so great a compliment would be paid him by the conqueror, or he would assuredly have left the Koh-i-Nur at home that night. To his horror and surprise, during the course of the dinner Nadir Shah made him a most polite speech, extolled his valour and wisdom, swore eternal friendship, and as a sign and token of the same suggested that they should exchange turbans! To the luckless Mahomed Shah no course was open but to accept the compliment with the best grace he could muster. It is not surprising to learn that during the rest of the feast Nadir Shah was in excellent spirits, whilst Mahomed Shah appears to have lost his appetite.
Thus passed the great diamond to the King of Persia, who when he returned to his own land, took it with him. But it brought him no good fortune, for he was in due course murdered, and the Koh-i-Nur was taken by one of his bodyguard, an Afghan named Ahmed Shah. This soldier of fortune escaped to Afghanistan with the diamond, and there eventually became Amir or King of that country and founder of the Durani dynasty. In 1772 Ahmed Shad died and was succeeded by his son Taimur Shah, to whom also passed the Koh-i-Nur. Shah Suja, the next occupant of the throne at Kabul, succeeded also to the possession of the famous diamond, but it brought him no good fortune, for he was deposed and fled for his life to Lahore, taking the stone with him. There he found asylum with the Maharajah Runjeet Singh, the Lion of the Punjab, but as he soon found, only on condition that he handed over the Koh-i-Nur to his host.
In Lahore the celebrated stone was seen by Lord Auckland’s sister, the Hon. Emily Eden, in 1838-39. Ten years later the threatening attitude of the Sikhs, combined with repeated and overt acts of hostility, compelled the East India Company to settle once and for all with this turbulent neighbour. With slender forces Lord Gough advanced to subjugate the Sikhs, and in the three great and hard-fought battles of the Sutlej, Goojerât, and Chillianwalla, laid in the dust the vaunted power of this military race. The Punjab was annexed to the territories administered by the East India Company, the Maharajah Runjeet Singh ceased to reign, and the Koh-i-Nur passed to the British Army as part of the spoils of war.
During the transition stage the Punjab was administered by a board of five British officers, amongst whom were the brothers Sir John[[21]] and Sir Henry Lawrence. At one of the meetings of the Board the question was raised as to what was to be done with the treasure taken, amongst which was the Koh-i-Nur, there lying on the table. The Board decided to ascertain the wishes of the Directors of the East India Company, and asked Sir John Lawrence meanwhile to take charge of it. Sir John, who had many and great matters on his mind, beside which a diamond was of small import, wrapped the stone up in a piece of paper, put it into his pocket, and forgot all about it!
About six weeks after, at another meeting of the Board, a letter was read from the Governor-General, in which it was stated that it had been decided that the Koh-i-Nur should be presented by the Army of the Punjab to Queen Victoria. Sir John Lawrence listened to this pronouncement without much interest, till one of the Board mentioned incidentally that the diamond was in Sir John’s safe custody!
Sir John, not being an emotional man, never turned a hair, but after hearing the debate through mounted his horse and galloped off to his bungalow. There he summoned his bearer, or valet, and said: “About six weeks ago I brought home in my pocket a piece of glass wrapped in a bit of paper. What did you do with it?”
“Cherisher of the poor, I placed that piece of glass wrapped in paper on the top of your honour’s office box, and”—opening the box—“here it is!” Being an unemotional person Sir John did not fall on his servant’s neck and shed tears of gratitude; on the contrary, he merely said, “Very good,” put the diamond again in his pocket and rode off to deposit it with someone who had nothing else to think about, and a guard of soldiers to help him do so.
From Lahore to England the Koh-i-Nur was sent under special precautions in charge of Major Macheson, and on arrival was presented to Queen Victoria as a loyal tribute from the Army which had by its gallant deeds added the Punjab to the Empire.
It was on view to the public at the Great Exhibition of 1851, and when that was closed returned to the safe keeping of Queen Victoria. The size and weight of the Koh-i-Nur when first found is not accurately known, but it is conjectured that after its first cutting it weighed about 1000 carats. It is, however, known that when in the possession of Shah Jehan it had, by unskilful cutting, been reduced to 800 carats. By the orders of that Emperor an endeavour was made to get a better result, the further cutting being entrusted to a Venetian named Ortensio Borgio. His effort was not deemed satisfactory, and Borgio was fined £1000, and may be considered lucky not to have lost his head as well. When presented to Queen Victoria the diamond weighed only 186-1/6 carats. Under the superintendence of the Prince Consort it was again cut by Coster of Amsterdam into the form of a regular brilliant. By this last cutting the stone was reduced to 106-1/6 carats, but curiously enough looks larger and is superficially larger than it was before. This result was achieved by cutting transversely the original cone-shaped stone, this diameter being greater than the base. Queen Victoria wore the Koh-i-Nur set as a brooch, but it is now perhaps more appropriately placed in front of the State Crown of Queen Mary. The diamond can, however, be removed at pleasure and worn as a brooch.