Koh-i-Noor: 8 key ideas
The core ideas of Koh-i-Noor, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.
- IDEA 1 OF 8
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 OF 8
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 OF 8
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.
- IDEA 4 OF 8
Ranjit Singh made it a symbol
Shah Shuja, an exiled Afghan ruler, was forced to hand the diamond to Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab.
Ranjit Singh wore it proudly, and it became a symbol of Sikh power.
- IDEA 5 OF 8
A boy king lost everything
After Ranjit Singh's death, the British annexed Punjab in 1849.
Anand describes how the young Maharaja Duleep Singh was made to give up the diamond and was later taken to Britain.
- IDEA 6 OF 8
Britain recut the stone
Displayed at the Great Exhibition of 1851, the diamond disappointed visitors.
It was recut to make it sparkle more, losing much of its weight, and later set in British royal crowns.
- IDEA 7 OF 8
Duleep Singh's story is tragic
Anand follows Duleep Singh's life in Britain, where he lived as a gentleman but grew resentful.
He later tried to reclaim his heritage but died far from home. His life ended in sadness and exile.
- IDEA 8 OF 8
Many nations claim the diamond
Today India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran have all claimed the Koh-i-Noor.
The authors present it as a symbol of colonial history and the debates over returning treasures taken by empires.
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