The fabulous Golconda diamonds - II
Babur spent his entire life in pursuit of acquiring a kingdom to rule. It is unlikely that he had come in contact with any significant diamond in his life till he won the throne of Delhi. He sent his son Humayun with a force to take Agra where the widows of Raja of Gwalior, who had lost his life fighting against Babur for Ibrahim Lodhi at the Battle of Panipat, came to ask for peace and protection. The widows presented Humayun with a diamond that became the most celebrated jewel in the whole world. It was the Koh-i-Noor. Mughals quickly came to appreciate the value of these glittering stones and their opulence came to be linked with diamonds. When Aurangzeb liquidated Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur in 1686 and Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda in 1687, he came in to possession of a large number of big diamonds for these royal houses. He took Nur-Ul-Ain Diamond, Great Mughal Diamond, Kara Diamond, Darya-e-Nur, The Hope Diamond, the Wittelsbach Diamond and The Regent Diamond making him the r...