The Koh-I-Noor Diamond at The Great Exhibition of 1851

Main Artifact: Koh-I-Noor Diamond on display at The Great Exhibition of 1851

Illustrated London News, 31 May 1851. NAL pressmark: PP.10. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The Koh-i-Noor, between two other diamonds, as it was originally presented to Queen Victoria. Illustrated London News, 31 May 1851. NAL pressmark: PP.10. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

History of the Koh-I-Noor Diamond

Considered one of the biggest diamonds ever recorded in history the Koh-I-Noor was first recorded in the 1300s in India. Considered a symbol of power and wealth the diamond passed between various kingdoms in India until 1628 when the Mungal leader Shah Jahan commissioned a jewel encrusted throne, often referred to as the peacock throne because of the two jewel peacocks on the top, with the Koh-I-Noor displayed at the top. The diamond remained on the throne until Nadar Shah, the ruler of the Persian Empire conquered the Mungals in 1739 claiming the peacock throne as one of his prizes. The Koh-I-Noor itself he removed to later be put onto an armband for himself.

It is not until 1813 that the diamond returns to India thanks to the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh, who according to Anand and Dalrymple the authors of Koh-I-Noor: The History of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond, symbolized the reclamation of all that India had lost to Shah in his plundering of Delhi in 1761. No longer was the diamond sought after for it's beauty and monetary value, but it became a symbol of prestige and power that the British found irresistible.

The British waited until 1851 when, after several years of power struggles for the throne, the new leader was a ten year old boy, Duleep Singh. The British imprisoned his mother and forced Duleep to sign the a document amending the Treaty of Lahore that stipulated that he hand over the Koh-I-Noor to the British. Now the diamond found itself in the possession of Queen Victoria who had it displayed at The Great Exhibition of 1851, and to this day the diamond is still a part of the crown jewels displayed in the Tower of London. It has also been cut up several times in attempts to increase the shine.

The Great Exhibition of 1851

The Opening of the Great Industrial Exhibition of All Nations by George Cruikshank and David Bogue. Museum no. CIS 19648

The Great Exhibition of 1851 was a large scale version of public exhibitions that has been growing increasing popular in Britain as a means to show the public the best that British Industrialization had to offer. Prince Albert made the 1851 exhibition international as a way to help Britain establish its superiority, as well as to set an example to the rest of the world at how welcoming Britain is. The exhibition was held in a specially constructed glass and steel building called the crystal palace that was 1848 by 408ft.

Aeronautic view of The Palace of Industry For All Nations, from Kensington Palace by Charles Burton, England, 1851 - 1852. Museum no. 19614

Comparison to The Moonstone

The most obvious connection is that the Moonstone is actually loosely based on the Koh-I-Noor which is even stated in the preface to the first edition (48). Both diamonds are said to be cursed because of their tumultuous and complicated history.

The most striking connection is the idea of the moonstone being “the heart of India” which is why it is so important to them that it is returned. This is very similar to the idea that Anand and Dalrymple bring up about Ranjit Singh and later the rest of the world viewing the diamond as a symbol of power and prestige. This serves as an example of British imperialism because it's their belief that by capturing what is most important to a country they can control and rule them.

Discussion Questions

• Let’s discuss this idea of the diamond as a symbol power and prestige.
• India still wants the Koh-I-Noor back today, but who really owns the diamond?

Bibliography

Ap, Tiffany. “India Still Wants the Kohinoor Diamond Back.” CNN Style, 20 Apr. 2016, http://www.cnn.com/style/article/india-kohinoor-diamond/index.html.

Boissoneault, Lorraine. “The True Story of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond—And Why the British Won’t Give It Back.” Smithsonian, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-koh-i-noor-diamondand-why-british-wont-give-it-back-180964660/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2017.

“Henry Cole and the Koh-i-Noor Diamond.” Blog, http://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/tales-archives/henry-cole-and-the-koh-i-noor-diamond. Accessed 11 Oct. 2017.

Victoria and Albert Museum, Digital Media webmaster@vam ac uk. The Great Exhibition. 2 June 2011, http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-great-exhibition/.

Victoria and Albert Museum, Online Museum. Industry, Religion and Empire. 13 Jan. 2011, http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/i/industry-religion-and-the-british-empire/.

Victoria and Albert Museum, Online Museum. The Crystal Palace. 13 Jan. 2011,
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-crystal-palace/.