New Delhi: India has seen many famous diamonds in history, but very few can match the legacy of Daria-i-Noor, the famous diamond which was owned by the likes of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughal Empire, Nader Shah and Ranjit Singh. It is one of the world’s largest cut diamonds which weighs an estimated 182 carats. Moreover, its pale pink colour is one of the rarest that is found among the diamonds. In this article, we will take a look at more such diamonds.
Daria-i-Noor: How did it change hands throughout history?
The Daria-i-Noor, like the Koh-i-Noor, is thought to have come from the Kollur mine in the Golconda. The original owners of the diamond were the Kakatiya dynasty, a Telugu dynasty that ruled most of the eastern Deccan region in present-day India between the 12th and 14th centuries.
It later came into the possession of the Khilji dynasty, one of the most prominent dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate. The Mughal emperors also owned the diamond and it was part of the famous Peacock Throne of Emperor Shah Jahan. It later found its way to the Marathas and later it was part of the treasure of Nawab Sirajul Mulk of the princely state of Hyderabad.
In 1739, the Iranian conqueror Nader Shah invaded Northern India, defeated the Mughal forces and occupied Delhi, plundering the city as he wished. He returned the control of India to the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah, but in return, he took the entire treasury of the Mughals with him and his war loot included the Koh-i-Noor, the Peacock Throne and the Daria-i-Noor. He died in 1747 and his grandson Shahrokh Mirza inherited the diamond. Later, Lotf Ali Khan became its owner and he was defeated by Mohammad Khan Qajar, the founder of the Qajar dynasty of Iran. With the victory, the Qajar treasury gained the valuable Daria-i-Noor and Naser al-Din Shah Qajar of the dynasty was reportedly very fond of the diamond.
There is another theory that states that the diamond found its way to Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire. After the British Raj annexed the Sikh Empire, the diamond became part of the British treasury. At that time, they valued the diamond at Rs 63,000. As per this theory, Daria-i-Noor was taken to London but it failed to impress the British nobility and it was sent back to India two years later to be auctioned off and the Nawabs of Dhaka won the bidding war.
Daria-i-Noor is one of the world’s largest cut diamonds which weighs an estimated 182 carats. Moreover, its pale pink colour is one of the rarest that is found among the diamonds. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
