Kohinoor, the most infamous Diamond: Coming back to India?

The beloved Queen of Britain, Queen Elizabeth II, assumed the title of Queen in 1952 after her father's death and reigned for more than 70 years until her death on September 8, 2022, making her the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Her Majesty was the only female member of the royal family to have entered the armed forces and served in World War II.

 

Today, India is labelled as a developing country, but a few centuries ago, India was known to be the wealthiest country in the world. It was nicknamed Sone ki Chidhiya (the Golden Bird) as it had an abundant supply of raw materials and precious stones. In the 17th century, before the colonisation of India, its GDP was between 25% and 35% of the world's total GDP, which dropped to 2%-3% by the Independence of India. Other than this, the Britishers took away one more important and valuable item from India, the precious Kohinoor Diamond, which was presented to the Queen of England, Queen Victoria, as a gift by the East India Company. 

While the whole world mourns for such a great and tragic loss, some twitterati demand Kohinoor's return to India. Koh-i-Noor, also known as the Mountain of Light, is one of the largest and most famous cut diamonds in the world, which is currently set in the Queen's crown, stored in the Tower of London's Jewel House under tight security. And now, with her eldest son, Prince Charles, succeeding the throne, the 105-carat diamond with a controversial history will go to his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, who has now become Queen.

 

It is one of the oldest diamonds in mankind's history, which was first identified in Kollur Mine, Andhra Pradesh. Since then, the diamond has had a quite turbulent journey from one owner to another. The kohinoor diamond has been at the centre of much bloodshed and rivalries, and it is also known to be a cursed gem that has either resulted in the death of its owner or loss of their empire. It is believed that only God or a woman can wear this precious stone and not face any of its misfortune, this is why, the precious diamond has always gone to the King's wife. 

But now, after the Queen's demise, the issue of Kohinoor's ownership has again popped up. Be it in politics, memes, trending hashtags, or through people's tweets, this controversial issue has surfaced again.

The British Royals have justified their ownership of Kohinoor by saying that the diamond was never stolen but acquired by the East India Company under the Treaty of Lahore.