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HOB-NAILED BOOTS IN THE LOWLANDS
the
heading of "research workers" say that the stone was in the possession
of Bourhan-Nizan-Shah II until he had a war with Akbar, a Great Mogul,
whereupon he lost his kingdom and his gem.
The
Second inscription reads: "Son of Jehangir-Shah-Jehan, Shah 1051." He
was the so-called Eternal Mogul, builder of the Taj Mahal and grandson
of Akbar, 1651 a.d. The
year "1051" means in our terms 1651. In 1660 the diamond passed into
the possession of one Aurangzeb. At about that time or a little late
Tavernier, after visiting the court of Aurangzeb, wrote:
"On
the side of the throne which is opposite the court there is to be seen
a jewel consisting of a diamond of about 80 to go carats weight, with
rubies and emeralds around it, and when the king is seated he has the
jewel in full view."
But
along about 1739 the Nadir-Shah, about whom we already have learned in
connection with other famous stones, sacked the treasure house and
carried away not only the Koh-I-Noor but also The Shah. So it went to
Persia, and that brings us to:
Inscription
III. This reads: "Kadjar-Fath-Ali-Shah, Sultan." He was Shah of Persia
in the year 1824. But before you come to that you find, according to
the records accumulated through the centuries, that a young Russian
scribe named Griboyedoff had been appointed Russian Ambassador to
Teheran. Before he had gone there he had been powerful in the privy
councils of the Russian rulers. He was regarded as responsible for the
Treaty of Turkmanchai, by which Russia, after the defeat of the Shah
Abbas Mizra, gained rich territory and influence over the inner affairs
of Persia. Naturally the Persians hated Griboyedoffs diplomatic
maneuvers.
So when he appeared on the Persian scene as ambassador,
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