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 was first brought to light by the miners of Golconda, in the year 1550, and became the property of the reigning prince. When the Mogul princes extended their pretensions to the sovereignty of the Deccan, the Koh-i-noor passed from Golconda to Delhi, where it was seen in 1665 by the French traveller, Tavernier, who, by the extraordinary indulgence of Aurungzebe, was permitted to handle, examine, and weigh it. In the year 1739, Nadir Shah, the Persian invader, seized the precious jewel and carried it back with him; but it was destined to pass from Persia as quickly as that ephemeral supremacy in virtue of which it had been acquired. Soon after his return the Persian conqueror was assassinated by his own subjects, and the great diamond was carried off by Ahmed Shah.

"At the commencement of the present century, the treasures of Ahmed were vested in Zemaun Shah, who was deposed and imprisoned by his brother, Shah Shuja. For some time the Koh-i-noor was missing, but at length it was discovered ingeniously secreted in the walls of Zemaun Shah's prison. When Shah Shuja was expelled from Cabul by the British, he contrived to make this far-famed diamond the companion of his flight. He found refuge at the court of Runjeet Singh, who demanded the jewel in return for his protection, and thus the great diamond of the Moguls became the property of the warlike chief of the Sikhs. You must be aware that the Koh-i-noor formed part of the spoil