Ball — Description of two large Bpinel Biibies. 387 



glass. Subsequent revolutions and thefts served to further distribute 

 them.^ 



Recent visitors to Persia^ mention a large ruby on the crown of 

 Persia as having belonged to Aurungzeb. It may be so, but the evidence 

 connecting it with him is not recorded, and one is tempted to suggest 

 that it may really be one of the stones above mentioned, which date 

 back to two centuries or more before Aurangzeb's time. 



Aurangzeb's name is, however, definitely connected in history with 

 a ruby. As I have elsewhere related,^ Shah E,ukh, the grandson of 

 Nadir Shah, was oppressed by Mir Alum Klian, who tried to force him 

 to give up the Koh-i-nur diamond. It passed, however, into the hands 

 of Ahmad Shah, the then King of Kabul, who came to Shah liukh's 

 assistance in the year 1751, and he took it with him to Kabul. But 

 Shah Pukh still retained other jewels (including the original peacock 

 throne?) which had belonged to JSTadir Shah, and these (about 1796), 

 excited the cupidity of the eunuch Aga Muhammad Khan, who had 

 already, from various sources, amassed many of the richest jewels 

 brought by Nadir from Hindustan, which had, since his time, fallen 

 into the hands of Lootf Ali Klian and sundry chieftains of Khorassan. 



Malcolm* relates that "The blind Shah Pukh, Avho had long- 

 ceased to exercise power, was yet believed to possess many precious 

 stones of great value, which he had concealed even from his sons. 

 These were demanded by Aga Muhammad Khan ; but he denied the 

 possession of them, and took the most solemn oaths to persuade that 

 monarch to credit the assertion; but in vain. Torture in all its forms 

 was applied, and we almost cease to pity this degraded and miserable 

 prince when informed that his discoveries kept pace with the pains 

 which were inflicted upon him. Treasures and jewels were produced 

 which had been sunk in wells and built up in walls ; and at last, 

 when a circle of paste was put upon his head, and boiling lead poured 

 into it, he in his agony discovered a ruby of extraordinary size and 

 lustre, which had once decorated the crown of Aurungzeb, and was 

 the chief object of the search of Aga Muhammad. That monarch, we 

 are informed (Persian MS.), the moment he heard that this jewel 

 was found, expressed the greatest joy. He directed the tortures of 



1 "Hist, de Nadir Shah," vol. ii., p. 127-8. 



-Viscount Pollington, "Half Round the "World," London, E. Mason, 1867, 

 p. 231; Eastwick, "Journal of a Diplomat," 1864, vol. ii., p. 118; Curzon, 

 "Persia," vol. i., p. 316. 



* " Tavernier's Travels," Eng. Ed., vol. ii., p. 414 



* " History of Persia," vol. ii., p. 290. 



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