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The most precious diamond of the world Kohinoor (light of mountain) was the splendour of the show room of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
When Babur conquered India, he sent his son Hamayun to capture Agra. Hamayun encircled the city and started looting the citizens. During the plundering and killing an old woman handed over that precious diamond to save her life.
When Hamayun showed that diamond to Babur, he was very pleased to see it and gave it back to Hamayun as a gift. This diamond remained in India till 1540.
But when Hamayun defeated by Sher Shah Suri, he fled towards Iran and took that diamond with him. But in 1515, when Hamayun again became the emperor of India, he brought that diamond back to India. Then this diamond remained with Mughal Emperors till 1739.
When in 1739 nadar Shah Abdali defeated Ahmad Shah Rangila and captured his treasury then he took that diamond with other precious things.
Till that time that diamond remained nameless. But when Nadar Shah Abdali saw that diamond he was so astonished to see it that he at once uttered, “Kohinoor”.
After that this diamond became famous in the world under the name of Kohinoor. Nadar Shah took this diamond to Khurasand.
When in 1747 Nadar Shah was killed, then this diamond came under the possession of Ahmad Shah Abdali. After that King Shah Sujah of Kabul became its owner.
In 1812 Shah Sujah and King Zaman and their families came to Lahore for refuse. But on their way the Governor of Attak Jahanadad Khan arrested Shah Sujah and sent him to Kashmir where his brother Alla Beg was governor of that territory.
Shah Sujah’s brother and other family reached Lahore and Maharaja Ranjit Singh welcomed them and made adequate arrangement for their stay.
One day the wife of Shah Sujah requested Faqir Aziz Din that if they would help to release his husband from imprisonment of governor of Kashmir, then she would hand over to them the Kohinoor diamond.
Faqir Aziz Din told about this to Mahraja Ranjit Singh. Maharaja approved the proposal of Faqir Aziz Din and made preparations to attack Kashmir.
In the mean time the Prime Minister of Kabul was also making arrangements to attack Kashmir. When he requested Maharaja for help, Maharaja approved it happily.
In that crucial battle, Maharaja Forces freed Shah Sujah and broght him to Lahore. When Wafa Begam, the wife of Shah Sujah was asked to give them Kohinoor according to the promise, she made lame excuses.
But Maharaja did not force his guest. He paid three lakh in cash and worth 50,000 the landed property as the price of Kohinoor diamond and became the owner of that unique diamond of the world.
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