Kohinoor

Kohinoor tells the disputed story of the Koh-i-Noor diamond. Its name means “Mountain of Light.” Anita Anand and William Dalrymple trace who owned the stone. They span centuries in Central and South Asia. This history links the stone to conquest, greed and murder. It also tells of torture and betrayal. It suits readers drawn to empire and colonial rule.

On 29 March 1849, Punjab’s ten-year-old maharajah signed a formal act. He signed in Lahore and agreed to submit to British rule. He gave the British East India Company vast lands. These lands lay in India’s richest region. The same act forced him to give Queen Victoria the diamond. Britain took the stone and accepted an account of its past. The authors question that account, using written records to test rumours. They also trace how the diamond became a sign of power.

Dalrymple was born in Scotland in 1965. He studied history at Ampleforth and at Trinity College, Cambridge. His writing has won the Wolfson History Prize. It has also won the Duff Cooper Memorial Award, among other honours. He lives near Delhi with his wife and three children. Anand has worked in radio and TV news for over twenty years. Her shows include Daily Politics and The Heaven and Earth Show. They also include Newsnight. She hosts Any Answers on BBC Radio 4 as well. She lives in London with her husband and two children. This edition forms part of the Omnium Istorie series.