308 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



nasty, in the mines of Golconda. It remained in the possession of the 

 King of Golconda until the. time of the father of the renowned Emperor 

 Aurungzebe, who, subjugating its possessor, first held the Koh-i-noor 

 by the right of conquest. While in the possession of the Moguls it 

 was first seen by a European, Tavernier, a French traveller, in 16G5. 

 This gentleman, as an act of indulgence on the part of Aurungzebe, 

 was permitted to examine it minutely, and from the account which he 

 gave of it, it has since been known to the European world as the dia- 

 mond of the Great Mogul. In this interview the Emperor is de- 

 scribed as seated upon the throne of state, while the chief keeper of 

 his jewels produced his treasure for inspection on two golden dishes. 

 The magnificence of the collection was indescribable, but conspicuous 

 above all in lustre, esteem, and value, was the Koh-i-noor. Some- 

 times worn on the person of the Moguls, sometimes adorning the 

 famous peacock throne, this jewel was safely preserved at Delhi until, 

 in 1739, the empire was overthrown by the Persians, under Nadir 

 Shah. Together with the spoils of conquest, estimated at ninety mil- 

 lions sterling, the Koh-i-noor was transferee! to Khorassan. Here it 

 was not destined to remain for any length of time. Nadir Shah was 

 assassinated by his subjects, and the diamond was borne away by a 

 party of Affghan soldiers, under Ahmed Shah, to their own country. 

 It seems as if the Koh-i-noor carried with it the sovereignty of India, 

 for the conquests and power of Ahmed soon became as extensive as 

 that of his predecessors, and gave to him the control of Hindostan. 

 In his dynasty the diamond remained until the year 1800, when its 

 then owner, Zemaun Shah, was overthrown by Shah Shuja and im- 

 prisoned. But the usurper on ascending the throne was not able to 

 find the precious ornament ; the treasury of Cabul was searched in 

 vain, until, at last, it was found ingeniously secreted in the prison wall 

 of the dethroned monarch. Eight years after, the Shah Shuja had 

 become so powerful that the British government sent Mr. Elphinstone 

 as an ambassador to his court, for the purpose of maintaining friendly 

 relations. At the audience given to the envoy, Shah Shuja appeared 

 magnificently arrayed in a green tunic, glittering with gold and pre- 

 cious stones, and wearing the Koh-i-noor in a bracelet upon his right 

 arm. This was the second time that a European had been favored 

 with a sight of it, one hundred and forty-three years having elapsed 

 since its exhibition to Tavernier. Hardly, however, had Mr. Elphin- 

 stone left the court, when the Shah was expelled from Cabul, carry- 

 ing away the far-famed diamond concealed about his person. After 

 many vicissitudes of exile and contest, he at length found an equivocal 

 refuge among the Sikhs. Runjeet Singh, the chieftain, was fully 

 competent to protect or restore the fugitive, but he knew or suspected 

 the treasure in his possession, and his mind was bent upon acquiring 

 it. He put the Shah under strict surveillance, and made a formal de- 

 mand for the jewel. The Shah hesitated, prevaricated, temporized, 

 and employed all the artifices of Eastern diplomacy, but in vain. 

 Runjeet resorted to more stringent measures, and at last a day was 

 fixed for the surrender of the diamond (June 1, 1813). The two 

 princes met in a room appointed for the purpose, and took their seats 



