With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

India demands return of Koh i Noor diamond

The Indian government has demanded the return of the "cursed" Koh i Noor diamond, a symbol of imperial power and the inspiration for the Victorian author Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone.

The diamond has been in British possession since East India Company forces in India defeated the Maharaja of Punjab in 1849 and forced him to hand it over to Queen Victoria as a tribute following the Treaty of Lahore.

It was last worn in public by the late Queen Mother and last seen set inside the Maltese Cross on the crown placed on top of the coffin at her funeral.

Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)