Stolen Splendors of Indian Maharajas

1. Koh-i-Noor Diamond:

Koh-i-Noor meaning “Mountain of Light” took birth in the state of Andra Pradesh along with its sibling Darya-ye Noor meaning “Sea of Light”. This precious stone is the world’s largest diamond and has travelled a lot and seen the raise, war and fall of many great dynasties and emperors ranging from Persia, Mughal, Turkic, Afghan, Sikh and finally now sits in Britain as a part of British Crown Jewel. This diamond was once a part of the famous ‘Peacock throne’ of Shah Jahan. It is said that Koh-i-Noor was presented to Queen Victoria in 1849 during the East Indian Company rule by the son of the Maharaja of Lahore. But according to the critics the stone was not willingly surrendered, it was robbed by British governor general, Lord Dalhousie. In 2010 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has joined the campaign with Egypt and Greece with the support of UNESCO in hopes of getting looted antiquities returned to the rightful country which includes this precious diamond. Till now no favorable results, but the efforts continues.