Kohinoor Diamond was not Stolen,

but Gifted to UK: Govt Tells

Supreme Court

Editors note: The Kohinoor diamond was originally stolen from the temple of
Goddess of Warangal, where it was used as the eye of the deity. There are
many such jewels which were stolen from Hindu temples and have ended up
in the hands of kings and rulers overseas. You can read more about it
here: The Kohinoor Diamond in the British Crown Jewels was the Eye of
Hindu Goddess of Warangal

Government today told the Supreme Court that Kohinoor diamond was
neither forcibly taken nor stolen by British rulers but given to the East
India Company by the rulers of Punjab.
Kohinoor cannot said to be forcibly taken or stolen as it was given by the
successors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to East India Company in 1849 as
compensation for helping them in the Sikh wars, Solicitor General Ranjit
Kumar told a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur.
The apex court then asked whether the government was willing to stake a
claim to the Kohinoor, one of the most valuable diamonds in the world.
The Solicitor General told the apex court that the demand to get back
Kohinoor have been raised time and again in Parliament. If we claim our
treasures like Kohinoor from other countries, every other nation will start
claiming their items from us. There will be nothing left in our museums,
Solicitor General said.
Editors note: This argument is ridiculous as India has not stolen any
artifacts from other countries, nor has India ever ruled over other nations
imperially. On the other hand, the wealth of India had been systematically
stolen by the British and sent abroad for hundreds of years.
He said this was the stand of Ministry of Culture while the response from
Ministry of External Affairs, which is also a party, is awaited.
The bench, also comprising Justice U U Lalit, then asked the Solicitor General
to file a detailed reply within six weeks. We would like to know if there is a
claim the government wants to make? See, we are not inclined to dismiss
this plea.

If we dismiss it, that country (United Kingdom) may say that your Supreme
Court has rejected the plea and it may lead to denial of the governments
legitimate claim.
You cannot afford dismissal as it may be treated as an obstruction in your
way. You formulate a response and file it in six weeks, the bench observed.
The apex court had asked the government to clarify its stand on a PIL
seeking return of Kohinoor diamond to the country.
Kohinoor, which means Mountain of Light, is a large, colourless diamond that
was found in Southern India in early 14th century. The 108-carat Kohinoor
gem, which came into British hands during the colonial era, is the subject of
a historic ownership dispute and claimed by at least four countries including
India.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by All India Human Rights and Social
Justice Front seeking directions to the Indian High Commissioner in United
Kingdom for the return of the diamond, besides several other treasures.
The PIL has made Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Culture, High
Commissioners of UK, Pakistan and Bangladesh as parties in the case.
It had also sought return of the ring and talwar of Tipu Sultan and other
treasures of Tipu Sultan, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Rani of Jhansi, Nawab Mir
Ahmad Ali Banda and other rulers of India.

The famed Kohinoor diamond was neither stolen nor forcibly taken away and
India should not stake claim to it, the Central government has told the
Supreme Court on Monday.
The statement was made by Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, who was
appearing for the government in the court, The Times of India reported. He
is reported to have told the court that the 105-karat diamond, which has
become a part of popular culture, was handed over to the East India
Company by Punjabs Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
It is now set in the crown that was worn by Queen Elizabeths mother until
her death in 2002, and is on public display in the Tower of London.
The Supreme Court on 8 April had asked the government to clarify its stand
on a PIL seeking return of the Kohinoor diamond in the country.
A bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur, which did not issue notice on
the PIL, asked the Solicitor General to seek instructions in the matter within
a week.
Everybody is claiming the Kohinoor. How many countries are claiming
Kohinoor? Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and even South Africa. Somebody
here is also asking for the Kohinoor. Do you know about it?, the bench
asked the Solicitor General.
Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar said he was unaware about it and would need
time to seek instructions and get back.
During the hearing, the bench, also comprising Justices R Banumathi and UU
Lalit, said there has been a press report attributing statements to the British
Prime Minister quoting him as saying, if we were to accept such demands,
British Museums would be empty.

Why dont you approach the government? Hasnt the government taken up
the matter? The government has done something. They have done whatever
it could, the bench told the petitioner.
The apex court was hearing a PIL filed by All India Human Rights and Social
Justice Front seeking directions to the High Commissioner of United Kingdom
for return of the diamond besides several other treasures.
The PIL has made Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Culture, High
Commissioners of UK, Pakistan and Bangladesh as parties in the case.
It has also sought return of the ring and talwar of Tipu Sultan and other
treasures of Tipu Sultan, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Rani of Jhansi, Nawab Mir
Ahmad Ali Banda and other rulers of India.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who had handed over the diamond, in turn had taken
it from an Afghan king who had sought sanctuary in India.
The diamond had been an heirloom of the Afghan monarchy and before then
was in Persian royal hands, but its true origins remain a mystery.

Seated comfortably with the Crown jewels of the Queen mother at the Tower
of London, the Kohinoor diamond has been a bone of contention between the
Indian and the British governments for decades. History has it that the
British first came into possession of the diamond in 1850 after the conquest
of Punjab, then under Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The diamond, however, changed hands several times before finally coming
into the ownership of the British.
The Kohinoor was first mentioned some 4000 to 5000 years back in some
Sanskrit texts. At that period though, it was known by the name Samantika
Mani (prince and leader among diamonds). According to some myths, the
diamond was in the possession of Hindu God Krishna.

The origin of the diamond has been placed in the Golconda in Andhra
Pradesh. It was mined from the Rayalaseema diamond mine when it was
under the rule of the Kakatiya dynasty.
Under the rulership of Alauddin Khilji, the second ruler of the Delhi Sultanate
dynasty, the Khiljis made successful raids in Southern India. It is believed
that the Khiljis came to acquire the diamond in one such expedition at
Warangal in 1310.
The diamond then kept switching ownership of the succeeding rulers of the
Delhi Sultanate. In 1526 Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, from whom he
acquired the diamond. Bubur mentions the diamond in his memoir, the
Baburnama.
After Babur, there is record that it adorned Shah Jahans Peacock throne.
The Persian monarch, Nadir Shah invaded the Mughal empire in 1739 and
therein obtained the diamond. Legend has it that it was Nadir Shah who
gave the diamond its current name, koh-i-noor, which in Persian means
mountain of light.
Nadir Shah was assassinated in 1747 and his empire disintegrated. After his
death, the Kohinoor came into the acquisition of one of his generals, Ahmad
Shah Durrani. One of his descendents, Shah Shuja Durrani gave the
diamond to Ranjit Singh of Punjab, who in return helped Durrani win back
the throne of Afghanistan.
In 1849, the British conquered Punjab and the Lahore treaty was
proclaimed. One term in the treaty stated that:
The gem called Kohinoor which was taken from Shah Shuja-ul-Malik by
Maharaja Ranjit Singh shall be surrendered by the Maharajah of Lahore to
the Queen of England.

Lord Dalhousie, in 1851, arranged for the Kohinoor to be presented to Queen

Victoria by Duleep Singh, successor of Ranjit Singh. The presentation of the
diamond was a grand event organized in Hyde Park, London.
Since then, the Kohinoor has remained in England. The government of India
on Monday, told the Supreme Court that the Kohinoor was not taken away
by the British government, but was given as a gift to them by Maharaja
Ranjit Singh.

India should not stake claim to the famed $200 million Kohinoor diamond as
it was neither stolen nor forcibly taken away, the centre told the Supreme
Court on Monday.
Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the government on Monday,
said this was the stand of the Culture Ministry. He also told the court that the
105-karat Kohinoor diamond was handed over to the East India Company by
Maharaja Duleep Singh.
Incidentally, in 1850, the Marquess of Dalhousie, who was the British
governor-general of Punjab, forced Punjabs Maharaja Duleep Singh to gift
the diamond to Queen Victoria.
Solicitor General Kumar on Monday also also said the response of the
Ministry of External Affairs on this issue is yet to come.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to file a detailed reply
within six weeks.