Inside hours of Buckingham Palace’s announcement of the demise of Queen Elizabeth II, tens of 1000’s of tweets concerning the crown jewels had the time period “Kohinoor” trending in India.
Most of the tweets utilizing the time period, together with in dozens of responses to prime minister Narendra Modi’ tribute to the late Queen, known as upon Britain to return the Kohinoor diamond – one of many world’s largest and most controversial – to its nation of origin.
Kohinoor, additionally spelled as Koh-i-Noor, is a 105-carat gemstone which implies “mountain of sunshine” in Persian. The stone is about within the crown of the Queen Mom, which is on show within the Tower of London.
The diamond has been on the centre of political and authorized controversy in India amid disputes over its possession, with claims coming not simply from India however Pakistan as properly.
It stays a degree of competition in relations between India and the UK as a result of many Indians imagine the diamond, present in India within the 14th century, was “stolen” throughout the colonial regime.
The diamond in truth handed by means of the palms of many rulers, together with the Rajputs, Mughal princes, Iranian warriors, Afghan rulers and Punjabi Maharajas earlier than it ended up within the British crown jewels.
In line with the UK Royal Palace, the Kohinoor was unearthed from the Golconda mines in central southern India earlier than it was handed to the British monarchy in 1849.
It turned a part of crown jewels of Queen Victoria together with tons of of different gem stones which might be stated to have incalculable cultural, historic, and symbolic worth and stay a part of the royal assortment.
The crown, which additionally contains a purple velvet cap and ermine trim, was made in 1937 for Queen Elizabeth, consort of King George VI, to be worn on her husband’s coronation on 12 Might 1937.
It’s laden with 2,800 diamonds set into its platinum body. The band includes alternating clusters of diamonds forming crosses and rectangles, bordered by single rows of brilliant-cut diamonds.
On this file photograph taken on 2 June, 1953 the Queen Elizabeth II poses on her Coronation day, in London
(AFP by way of Getty Pictures)
Some imagine in folklore that the Kohinoor carries a curse because of its 750-year bloodstained historical past of homicide, megalomania and treachery.
And on Thursday evening and into Friday, many on social media in India known as upon the royal household to take the second of the top of the second Elizabethan period to return the jewel.
“Journey of Kohinoor: From India to England. It ought to come again to its origin, the least UK can do in the direction of the centuries of exploitation, opression, racism, slavery inflicted on folks of the Indian subcontinent,” Twitter person Anushree stated.
“Queen Elizabeth has died right this moment… Can we get our #Kohinoor Diamond again, which was stolen by Britisher from #India. They created wealth on others demise, famine, torchers & looting,” Vivek Singh, one other person stated.
A number of known as upon Mr Modi and president Droupadi Murmu, who additionally paid tribute to the Queen after her demise, to formally request the Kohinoor be returned to India.
In his tribute, Mr Modi stated: “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II can be remembered as a stalwart of our occasions. She supplied inspiring management to her nation and folks. She personified dignity and decency in public life. Pained by her demise. My ideas are along with her household and folks of UK on this unhappy hour.”
In 2016, the diamond was on the centre of a courtroom battle after an NGO filed a petition asking the courtroom to direct the Indian authorities to carry again the diamond.
At the moment the solicitor-general, representing India’s authorities, stated the diamond was a “present” to the East India Firm by the previous rulers of Punjab in 1849 and it was “neither stolen nor forcibly taken”.
Nonetheless, the federal government took a U-turn later and the Indian ministry of tradition “reiterated its resolve to make all potential efforts to carry again the Kohinoor Diamond in an amicable method”.
For now, the Kohinoor-studded crown will more than likely be worn by King Charles’ spouse Camilla, previously the Duchess of Cornwall and now the Queen Consort.
