The Great Mogul is the fourth largest of all existing diamonds. A complex and dramatic story led the miracle stone from India to Persia, where information about it was lost in the XVIII century. However, scientists and historians have not lost hope of finding a treasure.
Features
Beginning in the middle of the 17th century, there were legends around the world about the incomparable beauty of diamonds, which have never been equal for many centuries. Tragic and almost mystical events are associated with its appearance and disappearance. It is still difficult for some historians to believe that such a treasure actually existed. The famous stone called “The Great Mogul” was found in 1640 in the mines of Golconda, on the banks of the Krishna River.
An extensive Indian field stretched in the Middle Ages to the Bay of Bengal itself. Near it towered for many kilometers the walls of the fortress - the citadel of the Sultanate. Golconda is translated from the ancient Telugu language as a shepherd's hill. The unique field brought huge incomes; the Sultanate Rajas lived not as modest shepherds, but bathed in luxury.
It is known that until the 19th century diamonds were mined mainly in India, from where they fell into the noble courts of Asia and Europe. The first to see this splendor was Marco Polo at the end of the 13th century. He noticed that at the end of the rainy season, large diamonds are visible just under the pebbles among the pebbles on the coast. The mineral “Great Mogul” received its first description from the French merchant Tavernier, who became a famous traveler. Tavernier studied the eastern countries, delivering stones to the court of Louis XIV.
Arriving for the sixth time in Hindustan, he reached the very south and visited the mines of Golconda.The famous Frenchman was invited to the court of ruler Aurangzeb in 1665 before returning to Europe, and he was one of the few Europeans who saw a live diamond. Tavernier, struck by the beauty of the crystal, described the jewel in detail.
According to the information contained in the notes of the merchant, the unique treasure resembled a high and not very attractive at first glance bluish luminous rose with two subtle flaws - inside and on the bottom. Then a similar description appeared in the Explanatory Dictionary of Sciences, Arts and Crafts, published since 1750. This publication, founded by Diderot, was considered authoritative in France, it collected information from experts and specialists of that time. Who could see the diamond is unknown but the philosopher gives an encyclopedia drawing that depicts a large cone-shaped rose.
Cut History
Tavernier also testifies to the initial weight and size of the diamond.
The original weight of the uncut jewelry was 787 carats. The size of the crystal was not inferior to a small ping-pong ball.
At that time, Padishah Akbar established a unit of measurement of weight - ratti or sorch (about 0.126 g). Therefore, it was easy to make a mistake when translating 900 rattis into the usual units - carats. From this moment, there has been debate about how large the diamond actually was, since for three and a half centuries it was considered the most grandiose found in nature.
At the court of the Mughals, the Venetian diamond cutters worked. The best of them, the master Gortenzio Borges, was elected as a specialist and set to work. After processing, the appearance of the treasure disappointed Shah Aurangzeb.
History says that a reward of 10 thousand rupees was not paid to the master, since a small spot inside and a defect on the bottom of the stone remained. In addition, the diamond, made in the shape of a rose according to the traditions of India, has finally decreased in size. Tavernier called its dimensions comparable to a half of an egg, while the weight decreased almost by half, losing 500 carats. However, even after such processing, the diamond remained unsurpassed in size for several centuries.
The first owners of diamond
After it was found in the mines, the stone was in the treasury of the Raja Golconda. There are several versions regarding how the crystal then came to the Padishah of the Mughal Empire. The transfer took place through a servant, the treasurer, who owned a jewelry store. Either the nobleman was the owner of the stone and tried to win the favor of the ruler of the Empire, or he stole a jewel from revenge, trying to punish his master for the insult.
One way or another, a rare diamond in size and beauty was in the hands of Shah Jahan, in whose honor he was called the "Great Mughal." The patron of the arts, the padishah ordered the construction of the Taj Mahal mausoleum for his wife, a masterpiece of architectural art, and was revered as a great connoisseur of beauty. He knew a lot about gems; in his spare time he was fond of faceting stones. The son of a padishah, Aurangzeb, took the throne by force. He imprisoned his father in a fortress in Delhi, and brutally killed his elder brothers and their heirs. In the treasury of the Empire, the jewel was located until about 1738.
Then the war with Persia began, the capital was conquered by Nadir Shah. The troops of the latter exported convoys of loot from India. All gems from the treasury were stolen and appropriated. The precious Mogul came to the ruler of Persia and was with him. The Shah did not part with the diamond. In 1747, the lord was killed, and from that moment the stone is considered to have disappeared.
Where did the Great Mogul go?
The fate of the fourth largest diamond in the world has long been unknown. Specialists could only guess where the Indian treasure disappeared. Since the stone remained cracked after the first cut, it may have been reprocessed.This hypothesis seems to jewelers and historians to be the most probable of all available.
Two equally famous diamonds - “Orlov” and “Kohinur” - resemble the Great Mogul in weight and shape.
The English jeweler Stritter claimed that the Orlov is the very stone. The turquoise mineral was found in the mines of Kolur in the first half of the 18th century. Its initial weight was 300 carats.
The cut is also the same - a high pointed rose. Initially, both diamonds were called the "Great Mogul" and were in the treasury of the Empire, in the possession of Shah Jahan. After repeated processing in order to improve the appearance of the diamond began to weigh less than 200 carats. He was also shown by the Tavernier, and he was delighted with the Orlov, describing this jewel in his notes.
Subsequently, the diamond was placed inside the eyes of the statue of Brahma, in a Hindu temple. During the Persian invasion, the treasure fell to Nadir Shah. Then, approximately in 1767, it was acquired by the Armenian merchant Georgy Safras.
The diamond got its name after it appeared at the Russian Count Orlov.
To buy such a large stone was affordable for the favorite of the Empress, then he presented it to Catherine II. So the count tried to win her mercy again, presenting a truly priceless treasure for the day of the angel. The crystal shone at the top of the queen's scepter in 1774, and in 1914 ended up in the Kremlin Diamond Fund.
Streeter carefully studied the history of both minerals. His version looked pretty convincing. Only the carat weight of Orlov is too different from the Great Mogul diamond. But this problem was solved by another expert, the scientist Fersman. A Russian specialist discovered an error in the calculations of Tavernier. Fersman proposed applying a different ratio between carats and ratti - 6: 10, while the Frenchman applied the wrong one - 7: 8. With new proportions and detailed calculations, the scientist declared the identity of the stones. To date, no one has challenged his hypothesis.
"Kohinur" originates from the mines of Golconda, and, according to legend, it is several thousand years old. The initial weight is about 600 carats. Diamond adorned the headdress of the newborn son of the Sun God, reclining on the banks of the Yamuna River. The symbol of enlightenment, “Kohinur” was located in the statue of the god Shiva, in the place of the third eye. The Rajas of the ancient state of Malwa placed treasure on a ceremonial turban. The crystal is mentioned in sources dating back to the XIV century.
When the jewel came to the Mughals, it decorated the Peacock throne of gold. After the attack on the capital of the Empire, along with other looted treasures, the “Mountain of Light” moved to Persia, from there to Afghanistan, then returned to his homeland. When India became a colony of Great Britain, the stone was taken to London. In 1852, the crystal was re-cut.
The traditional form was replaced by a flatter one. As a result, the mass decreased significantly, 110 carats remained instead of 190. The yellowish glow disappeared, the diamond turned pure white. Shining in the crown of Queen Elizabeth, the stone is in the Tower of London.
A number of experts are of the opinion that the Great Mogul, divided into two parts, gave birth to two other famous diamonds - Orlov and Kohinur, or one of them. Calculations are given, dates are compared, but in each version there are weaknesses. Therefore, it is likely that the real "Great Mogul" is hidden in a private collection, and one day its owner will show the diamond to the world.
On the history of the famous diamond "The Great Mogul" see below.
