Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last week, internet users are calling for the British government to hand over artefacts taken from the British Empire, including the Kohinoor diamond – one of the world’s most famous diamonds.
Chat about the diamond – also spelled Koh-i-noor – which is part of the British Crown Jewels, has been trending on social media amid coverage of the Queen’s death, with users posting their thoughts on the empire – and memes about the diamond theft. back.
Internet jokes aside, many point to the heavy colonial history behind Britain’s possession of the diamond.
The Kohinoor, meaning “Mountain of Light,” was originally around 186 carats, and while its exact origins are unknown, it was most likely discovered in South India in the 13th century.
Danielle Kinsey, an assistant professor of history with a focus on 19th-century British and imperial history at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, said its impressive size often overshadows its less glamorous history.
“More importantly, it has a history of being part of the spoils of war or trophies taken as a result of war in South Asia. So, in many ways, it is a symbol of plunder and represents the long history of plundering imperialism,” she. said.
Kinsey said that one of the ways the British government and scholars rationalized British imperialism in India and elsewhere around the world was to say that their brand of imperialism was not about plunder, but about uplifting and civilizing colonized populations.
“Current histories of British imperialism tell a very different story, one of horrific violence, dispossession, prejudice and significant economic exploitation,” she said. “I think people are outraged by the way the Kohinoor continues to function as a trophy of empire as long as it remains in the possession of the crown.”
The diamond found its way through the hands of several dynasties, starting with the Mughals in the 16th century, then the Persians and then the Afghans, before the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh claimed it in 1813.
Maharaja Duleep Singh, the son and successor of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, held the diamond until the British annexed Punjab in 1849. Duleep, just 11 years old, signed the Treaty of Lahore, which also stipulated that Duleep would give the diamond to the Queen of England.
Lord Dalhousie, a Scottish statesman and governor-general of India, forced Singh to “gift” the diamond to Queen Victoria, Dalhousie wrote in an August 1849 letter to his friend Sir George Couper.
“He had visions of it becoming the centerpiece of the British imperial crown and he had visions of him becoming famous for facilitating the acquisition of the crown stone,” she said.
The diamond was sent to England and after an inspection, it was unveiled to the public at the Great Exhibition of 1851, where many were not impressed with it, she said.
“This was something of a scandal, and the diamond became a lightning rod for criticism of the East India Company’s plundering imperialism in India, especially during the recent Anglo-Sikh War,” Kinsey said. (The Royal India Company was the royal charter company established to exploit trade with East and Southeast Asia and India.)
To smooth over the scandal, Prince Consort Albert had the diamond cut and polished – leaving it almost half its original size, around 105 carats, but brighter, a BBC report said.
Rumors that the diamond was cursed also spread around the time of its discovery, claiming that any man who wore the diamond would experience great misfortune and that, therefore, it could only be worn by a woman, Kinsey said.
A combination of scandal surrounding the East India Company’s marauding imperialism in India and rumors of the diamond’s curse persisted, so the Kohinoor never became the exalted jewel in the imperial crown in the way Dalhousie had envisioned, she said.
Originally worn modestly as a brooch by Queen Victoria, the Kohinoor became part of the crown jewels; it was first placed in Queen Alexandra’s crown and then in the crown for the Queen Mother’s coronation in 1937. Queen Elizabeth II also wore it during her coronation in 1953, according to the Royal Collection Trust.
Some shared their frustration on Twitter over the UK’s ownership of the diamond, citing its history and the sordid relationship between India and Britain.
“There are many, many other artefacts in Britain that continue to function as imperial trophies, and when people from all over the world have to pour money and go through all the visa and travel issues to go to Britain to engage with part of their cultures and their past, it continues the trauma of empire for them. I can very much understand their frustration,” Kinsey said.
The attempt to get Britain back the diamond is not new. India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have repeatedly demanded that the British hand it over.
Several countries have claimed the diamond, although modern-day borders make the process complicated.
“Many governments have requested the return of the Kohinoor and laid claim to it, including India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan,” Kinsey said. “The Sikh Empire of Duleep Singh was based out of Lahore in 1849, which today resides in Pakistan, and this complicates an easy transfer of the stone to India. The stone was said to have been mined near Golconda, which is now in India.
Kinsey said he believes it’s only a matter of time before the Kohinoor surrenders.
“To be just pragmatic about it, at some point the monarchy will realize that holding the diamond is more of a public relations liability than an asset,” she said. “I think the same is true of the many, many looted artefacts in Britain today and the institutions that house them. It is also the right thing to do if the royal family is serious about apologizing for the evils of British imperialism and how they benefited from it.”
It is not known to whom the king will give the crown and the diamond. Many commentators speculate that they will be given to Camilla, the new queen consort.
“If the pattern holds with what has happened with previous monarchs, it should become part of the jewelery available to Camilla,” Kinsey said, although she said she was not sure.
