Artifact of Empires 1850s Kor-i-Noor Diamond

Images:


London: Crystal Palace: Ext.: View Transept. Digital image. ARTstor. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

Background of the Kor-i-Noor Diamond

• Natural History dating back to 5000 years back
• Jewel was presented to Queen Victoria in 1850
• Uncut, was one of the largest gemstones discovered
• First mentioned in the memoir of Babur, first Mogul ruler of India
• One account traces the jewel to 1297 where Sultan Al-ed-Din Khalji, the ruler of Delhi, defeated the last king of Gujarat and took the gem from his treasury
• Taken from India by East Indian Trading Company in 1849
• Displayed at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in the Crystal Palace
• Split into 6 pieces, mounted onto the Queen’s crown after being cut, now a part of the Crown Jewels

History of Britain in the 1850s

• 1850: Workhouses open up for poor without money, gives them food and board in exchange for labor (1840s brought child labor laws)
• 1851: the Crystal Palace houses the Great Exhibition to celebrate the world
• ‘The Great Exhibition  at the Crystal Palace in London in May 1851 symbolized mid-victorian economic success’ (Pugh, 72)
• Overproduction of goods led to bankruptcies in 1852
• Economic boom in 1853-1854 which brought increased wages, especially for skilled workers
• Did Britain also want to celebrate their empire/imperialism?
• 1858: Britain passes an act to abolish East India Company, brings India under their control. Queen Victoria, on November 1st, crowned queen of India
• 1850s started the British Industrial age, Exhibition helped start interest
• Britain’s investments overseas increased, much of which went into the production of railways in India and the Americas

Historical context: The Great Exhibition

• Britain had largest exhibition halls, with half of the entire 10 mile Crystal Palace to them.
• Largest pieces were industrial (Largest was hydraulic press that worked on the bridge in Bangor
• Why would Britain focus so much on it’s mechanics and industry for a world fair?
• And why have so much dedicated to them?
• Most people found the uncut unclear diamond
• Most stood in line for hours to see the diamond
• Were left disappointed or fulfilled due to the poor lighting and immobility of the stone

Comparison with The Moonstone

• ‘It (Moonstone) seemed unfathomable; this jewel, that you could hold between your finger and thumb, seemed unfathomable as the heavens themselves.’ (The Moonstone, 118)
• ‘In a hall inlaid with precious stones, under a roof supported by pillars of gold - the moon-god was set-up and worshipped’ (The Moonstone, 12)
• Compared to Heaven/possibly God
• Small diamond, but grand in color and reflection. All gathered around to see.
• Shows the British intense pride in their own says and spoils to compare it to the heavens.
• Koh-i-Noor diamond was a rough, large, colorless diamond
• The Moonstone was a small, yellow diamond believed to bring bad luck to its owner
• Babur died in 1530, 4 years after receiving the Kor-i-Noor diamond
• ‘The generations succeeded each other; the warrior who had committed the sacrilege perished miserably; the Moonstone passed (carrying its curse curse with it) from one lawless Mohammedan to another’ (The Moonstone, 13)

Citations

• "World's 10 Most Famous Diamonds." Arlecchino. Studiosoft, 2007. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.
• Collins, Wilkie. The Moonstone. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1955. Print.
• "Top 10 Plundered Artifacts." Time. Time Inc., 05 Mar. 2009. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
• "The Koh-I-Noor Diamond." The Koh-I-Noor Diamond. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
• "Astrology Online - Horoscope Compatibility - Horoscope Charts and Predictions at TeluguOne.com." Astrology Online - Horoscope Compatibility - Horoscope Charts and Predictions at TeluguOne.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
• Picard, Liza. "The Great Exhibition." The British Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
• London: Crystal Palace: Ext.: View Transept. Digital image. ARTstor. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.
• Yadav, Abhinav. "How Did Babur Die?" - Quora. N.p., 7 Mar. 2015. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
• Barrow, Mandy. "Victorian Britain Timeline." Victorian Britain Timeline. N.p., 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
• Homans, J. Smith. "The Bankers' Magazine, Volume 6." Books on Google Play. CROSBY, NICHOLS, AND COMPANY, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
• Pugh, Martin. "Mid-Victorian Britain: Progress and Prosperity." Britain since 1789. London: Macmillan, 1999. 72. Print.
• Weldon, JW. "Koh-i-Noor | Weldons of Dublin." Weldons of Dublin. N.p., 06 May 2015. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.