Anita Anand
8 key ideas, each explained in our own words.
Koh-i-Noor
- IDEA 1
A diamond wrapped in myth
Dalrymple and Anand explore the history of the Koh-i-Noor, one of the world's most famous diamonds. They show that many popular stories about its ancient origins are legends rather than documented history.
- IDEA 2
Nader Shah carried it away
The diamond's recorded history begins in the Mughal court. In 1739 the Persian ruler Nader Shah invaded Delhi and carried off huge treasures, including the Koh-i-Noor, which may have been named then.
- IDEA 3
It passed through Afghan hands
After Nader Shah's death, the diamond went to the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Durrani and his descendants. Dalrymple describes how violence and intrigue followed the stone wherever it went. Its owners often met grim fates.
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