CHAPTER X.
ASIATIC GEMS.
To Asia we naturally turn for the history of the diamond, and a solution of some of the phenomena connected with the mineral. But here we have to contend with vexations at all points; and instead of clearness, we have obscurity, disconnected histories, conflicting traditions, and superstitious fancies. However, from the mass of fragments which have been preserved, the patient antiquary eventually may be able to arrange an interesting story relating to the gem in the early days of its discovery and its adoption in ornamentation.
We will now proceed to mention some of the celebrated stones whose history has been more or less clearly defined; and regret to say that there are a large number of others of great interest and value, but of which we are unable to give a correct description.
The Hindoos prize diamonds greatly on account of their supposed spiritual properties, and they reluctantly part with them unless compelled by dire necessity, or induced by the hope of greater gain. Many of the fine diamonds brought to Europe from Asia have blood-stained histories, and some of them are connected with appalling atrocities. Therefore we may with propriety say that few of the noble gems would have found their way to Europe had the free will of their rightful owners been consulted.
The foremost gem in the history of the diamond was that which was called the Great Mogul. This was the largest of all known diamonds, and was found in the rich mines of Gani about the year 1650, or nearly a century after their discovery. It became the property of Vizier Mirgimola, who, although a Persian by birth, had by ability and tact risen to the honor of general and vizier to the King of Golconda. By means of his rapacity in war, and his success in working the diamond mines, he became enormously wealthy, and accumulated immense numbers of gems. The King finally became jealous of the wealth and power of his favorite, and resolved to destroy him. But Mirgimola, warned of his danger in time, succeeded in escaping with all his treasures to the capital of Shah Jehan, the Great Mogul. The wily Persian gained the favor and protection of the Hindoo monarch by magnificent presents of gems, the chief of which was the immense diamond which has since been called the Great Mogul.
The original weight of this mammoth gem is said to have been 787¹⁄₂ karats; but during the process of cutting it was reduced to 279 karats. Tavernier relates that the work had been intrusted to a Venetian lapidary by the name of Hortensio Borghis, who, ignorant of the duties of his task, removed the flaws and external imperfections by grinding the surface of the stone away. The labor required by this operation seems almost incredible when we come to consider the hardness of the stone, and estimate the difficulty of polishing it, especially with the rude means then in use by the Oriental lapidaries. The cutting of the Pitt diamond (now the Regent) required two years’ time, with the aid of modern appliances and the facilities afforded by means of cleavage, by which large fragments were removed and utilized. Therefore the statement that this stone was reduced solely by grinding from 787¹⁄₂ karats to 279 karats is likely to meet with disbelief among the lapidaries; for the operation must have required more than the fifteen years which had elapsed from the discovery of the gem to the time Tavernier examined it. Tavernier says distinctly that cleavage was not resorted to in facilitating the reduction of the stone. We quote: “Had the Sieur Hortensio been well acquainted with his profession he might have obtained from this great stone some good pieces without doing any injury to the King, and without having taken so much trouble in grinding it away; but he was not a very skilful diamond-cutter.” This statement establishes the fact that the secret of reducing diamonds by cleavage was known at that time.
Fifteen years after the discovery Tavernier saw the gem in the hands of Aurungzeb, who was then Mogul, Shah Jehan having been deposed and placed in confinement. The distinguished traveller was allowed to examine the gem, weigh it, and make a drawing of it. It was then of the form of half an egg, and very high-crowned, and had been cut with many facets, quite regularly arranged over its superior surfaces. It was also of fine water, and disfigured by only one crack on its lower border, and a little flaw in the interior.
The French traveller gives an account of the ceremony of his examination as conducted with great precision and the utmost solemnity, as though the gems were the crystallizations or the embodiments of departed spirits. The gems were brought in upon two lacquered trays covered with brocade, and were counted over thrice, and three lists made of them by different scribes. This process was not particularly flattering to the pride of the guest, but it serves to illustrate or establish the fact that the Hindoo character for deception and theft was quite as marked then as now.
Since this period no further mention has been made of the gem by any authentic writer; but it is supposed to have formed a part of the plunder of Delhi, when Nadir Shah captured all the treasures accumulated during four hundred years of prosperity, and which were valued at from $150,000,000 to $350,000,000.
The next largest diamond shown to Tavernier was one of only 54¹⁄₂ karats, and all the rest were much inferior. Hence it is surmised that the Koh-i-noor, the Shah, and the Daria-i-noor were then unknown, and were discovered at a later period. But it is stated that the former Mogul, who was still in confinement, retained many of the gems of his own collecting, and that they may have been among them. Or they may have been in possession of Mirgimola. At all events, the Mogul disappeared with the last Tatar invasion; and new paragons, like the Koh-i-noor, became known to the world. After the assassination of Nadir Shah his treasures were scattered among many chieftains, and all record of many of them has been lost.
The fate of the Mogul is shrouded in mystery. The famous gem preserved in the Persian treasury and called Daria-i-noor, “the ocean of lustre,” which Forbes saw and described, is not the lost stone. By some it is believed to be hidden away in some obscure fortress, to appear at some future day when the possessor may display his hidden treasure in safety. This view is certainly warranted by the discovery of the large flat diamond of one hundred and thirty karats among the jewels taken from the harem of Reeza Kooli at the capture of Coocha by the Persian army in 1832. Also the finding of the celebrated crown of Chosroes by Abbas in the treasury of one of the Princes in the Lauristan Mountains near the Persian Gulf, where it had lain concealed for a thousand years.
Were it not for the general accuracy and truthfulness of Tavernier, and the drawing he has left of the diamond, we might claim the Orloff as the missing Mogul. Certainly the resemblance in form is very remarkable; and the location of the flaws, with the rare circumstance of shape, are facts very strongly in favor of the Orloff. The question now arises, did Tavernier make an error in his weight and draw the outlines carelessly or from memory? We have seen how confused history has become regarding the identity of the Sancy diamond.
The real Koh-i-noor of Hindoo history is probably the great Mogul or the Orloff; and the name would be appropriately applied to the dome-like shape of both of the stones, with their flashing beams of light, rather than to the flattened form of the English stone now called the Koh-i-noor, and which exhibited but little lustre. It is highly probable that the diamond of Runjeet Sing, the English Koh-i-noor, was one of the magnificent diamonds surrendered to Nadir Shah by Mohammed Shah at the sack of Delhi in 1739, but there is no positive proof of his obtaining the great heirloom of the descendants of Aurungzeb.
In reviewing the history of the Great Mogul gems, from the time of Tavernier down to the present day, we are inclined to regard the term Koh-i-noor, or “mountain of light,” as a misnomer, and that the gem received this distinction only after its arrival at Kabul, or came into the possession of Runjeet Sing; neither have we any evidence to prove that the Koh-i-noor was the Great Mogul; for that appellation is not given to it by the early writers. But it is not probable that the term, so superlative of excellence and superiority, would be applied to an inferior gem, while the great diamond of the Mogul, weighing two hundred and eighty karats, was in existence.
The history of all these great diamonds is very obscure; and as the value of the Indian weights and measures varies so much at different places and at different times, it is quite impossible to follow with precision the fragments of history that relate to them.
Several accounts have been given of the manner in which the Koh-i-noor fell into the clutches of Runjeet; but that of Dr. Wilson, as published in the official catalogue of the great Exhibition at London, is probably correct. It is as follows:—
“When Shah Soujah was driven from Kabul, he became the nominal guest and actual prisoner of Runjeet Sing, who spared neither opportunity nor menace until, in 1813, he compelled the fugitive monarch to resign the precious gem, presenting him on the occasion, it is said, with a lakh of rupees, or about £12,000 sterling.
“According to Shah Soujah’s own account, however, he assigned to him the revenues of three villages, not one rupee of which he ever realized. Runjeet was highly elated by the acquisition of the diamond, and wore it as an armlet at all public festivals.
“When he was dying, an attempt was made by persons about him to persuade him to make the diamond a present to Juggernaut; and it is said he intimated by an inclination of the head his assent. The treasurer, however, in whose charge it was, refused to give it up without some better warrant; and Runjeet dying before a written order could be signed by him, the Koh-i-noor was preserved for a while for his successors. It was occasionally worn by Khurruk Sing and Shir Sing. After the murder of the latter it remained in the Lahore Treasury until the supersession of Dhulip Sing and the annexation of the Punjaub by the British Government, when the civil authorities took possession of the Lahore Treasury, under the stipulation previously made, that all the property of the State should be confiscated to the East India Company, in part payment of the debt due by the Lahore Government, and of the expenses of the war. It was at the same time stipulated that the Koh-i-noor should be surrendered to the Queen of England.
“The diamond was conveyed to Bombay by Governor General the Earl of Dalhousie, whom ill health had compelled to repair to the coast, and was then given in charge to Lieutenant-Colonel Mackeson, C. B., and Captain T. Ramsay, the Military Secretary to the Governor General, to take to England. These officers embarked on board Her Majesty’s steamship ‘Medea,’ and left Bombay on the 6th of April, 1850. They arrived at Portsmouth on the 30th of June; and two days afterwards relinquished their charge to the Chairman and Deputy-chairman of the Court of Directors, by whom, in company with the President of the Board of Control, the Koh-i-noor was delivered to her Majesty on the 3d of July,—an appropriate and honorable close to its eventful career.”
We are led to infer from the accounts of history that some of the Indian rulers collected enormous quantities of the precious stones. It is stated that Mahmoud, in his campaign in India about the eleventh century, captured the temple Bheen, which, according to Ferishta, contained a greater quantity of precious stones and pearls “than was ever collected in the royal treasury of any prince on earth.” They were carried off to Ghizna.
In another campaign the idol at Sumnat, fifteen feet high, was captured, which being broken open yielded great quantities of rubies, diamonds, and pearls which had been concealed in it. These were carried to Ghizna. Ferishta says Ala-ud-deen obtained from the Raja of Mahrattas fifty pounds of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, and also one hundred and seventy-five pounds of pearls.
In the middle of the sixteenth century Acber of India gave a splendid banquet in honor of his birthday; and, if the reports concerning it are correct, it was one of the most magnificent entertainments ever given on the earth. Acres of land were covered with silken and flaxen tents, and the horses and elephants were bespangled with gold and gems. The tents of the Nabob were not only exquisitely made and adorned, but even the carpets which covered the earth were richly embroidered with gold, pearls, and precious stones. In describing the beauty and magnificence of the Hindoo nobles, the historian states that they were adorned with diamonds that “sparkled like the firmament.”
Shah Jehan, the greatest of Mogul sovereigns since Timour, collected the wealth of India around him, and lavished it in a manner that reads more like a chapter in the “Arabian Nights” than a page of historic reality. At his death the treasury contained $150,000,000; and his palace, with its embellishments and ornaments, was the most beautiful the world has ever seen. The Peacock Throne was valued at $30,000,000, and his crown at $12,000,000. The diadem had twelve points, each tipped with a diamond of large size and the purest water. In the centre was embedded a huge pearl, and the rest of the crown was a glittering mass of rubies, diamonds, and other gems.
The dress of the Emperor was in keeping with his extravagance: around his neck he wore three strings of immense pearls; his arms were covered with armlets of diamonds and bracelets of other gems; his sword and buckler were incrusted with diamonds and rubies; and his sceptre was entwined with a chain of pearls, rubies, and diamonds. Besides his crown, he had a rich turban plumed with long heron feathers; on one side was a huge ruby, on the other a diamond, while an immense emerald decorated the front.
The famous Peacock Throne of Indian history is no myth; for Tavernier examined it with care, and has left a description of it so clear, that its reality and its value are matters of fact. It was so called from the figures of two peacocks with expanded tails standing behind it as large as life. These figures were constructed of gold and precious stones of all varieties, and so arranged as to represent the natural colors of the birds. The beautiful hues of the feathers were closely imitated by the arrangement of fine rubies, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and other gems.
The throne was six feet long and four feet wide, and was constructed of solid gold, inlaid with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. Steps of silver were placed in front of it; while a canopy of gold, fringed with pearls, supported by twelve pillars emblazoned with flashing gems, surmounted the whole. Between the peacocks stood a representation of the parrot, carved from emerald or some green stone. On each side of the throne was placed one of the sacred umbrellas, called chattars, made of richly embroidered crimson velvet fringed with pearls. Their handles were of solid gold, about eight feet long, and studded with diamonds. This was the most costly and superb work of art of its kind ever invented.
Its rival was the Cerulean Throne of the House of Bhamenee in the Nizam. It was constructed in the seventeenth century, and, according to the description of Ferishta, the Persian historian, was nine feet long by three feet wide, made of ebony, covered with plates of gold, and incrusted with gems. Its value was estimated at quite twenty millions of dollars. At the sack of Delhi, the Peacock Throne, with many other priceless relics, fell into the hands of Nadir Shah and his ravenous followers, and was carried off by them, and broken up.
We may form an idea of the magnificent costumes worn by the Eastern monarchs, from the description given by Mr. Elphinstone, the British envoy to the King of Kabul, in 1808. At the reception given to the embassy, the king was literally covered with gems. At first sight, he appeared to be clothed with an armor composed of jewels; but, on close inspection, his dress was found to consist of a green tunic covered with large flowers in gold and precious stones. Over these a large breastplate of diamonds shaped like two flattened fleurs de lis was worn. Upon each thigh, ornaments fashioned after the same manner were placed; while large emerald bracelets appeared on the arms, and many other jewels were adjusted to different parts of the body. In one of these bracelets flashed the Koh-i-noor, then regarded as one of the largest diamonds in the world. Over the chest were arranged some strings of very large pearls, like loose cross-belts. The crown was about nine inches high, and formed entirely of precious stones, like the wonderful plumes of Prince Esterhazy. It seemed to be radiated, like the ancient crowns; and behind the rays appeared peaks of purple velvet. Several small branches with pendants apparently projected from the crown; but the ornament was so complicated and so dazzling, that it was difficult for the spectators to understand it, and quite impossible to describe it.
Other famous diamonds besides the Mogul are missing; and modern history is unable to account for them. What has become of the splendid flat diamond weighing two hundred and forty-two karats, which Tavernier examined in Golconda; or the immense Agrah of six hundred and forty-five karats, in the rough, which the same traveller saw in India? Were they also gathered by the followers of Nadir, and divided in the spoliation of the property of the conqueror? We know that Persia, enriched by the last conquest of India, is immensely rich in precious stones of all descriptions; but the number, the character, and the value of them, are as shadowy as those of Turkey. However, we have a ray of intelligence from Bernier, who hastily estimated the value of the Persian jewels at thirteen and one half milliards of francs.
This prodigious estimate has been strengthened by the gorgeous appearance of the last Persian ambassador to France. The costume of this Emir fairly blazed with the brilliancy of the most costly gems, and recalled the departed glory of the last Prince of Esterhazy. The presents sent at the same time by the Sultan to the Empress Eugenie were most magnificent, especially the diamond bracelets, and were glorious emblems of Oriental favor.
Among the diamonds possessed by the Persian Crown, besides the Daria-i-noor, which is said to weigh two hundred and thirty-two karats, we have information of three others of remarkable size and beauty. They are named the Taj-Mah, or Crown of the Moon, of one hundred and forty-six karats; the Sea of Glory, of sixty-six karats; and the Mountain of Splendor, of one hundred and thirty-five karats, valued at $729,000.
Dr. Beke, at the meeting of the British Association, in 1851, read a paper on a new diamond that had lately come into the possession of Persia. He referred to the diamond slab of one hundred and thirty karats that had been captured at Coocha, in 1832, and which he thought might have been a part of the Koh-i-noor when in its natural state. The only account of its history the Persians could obtain, was the statement that it was found in the possession of a poor man, a native of Khorasan, who used it for the purpose of lighting his fires, by striking it against steel [the mineral does not possess the property], and that it had thereby sustained some damage. The gem was presented by Abbas Murza to his father, Futteh Ali Shah, and is presumed to be now among the crown jewels of Persia.
One of the latest accounts of the Persian treasures is given by Mr. Eastwick, who was permitted to examine them. He found them placed in a small, strongly built room, to which access was had by means of a narrow, steep stairway and very small door. In this apartment, spread out upon thick, velvety carpets, were displayed gems and jewels of the value of $35,000,000. Conspicuous among them was the Kaianian crown, which was shaped like a flower-pot, and topped by an immense uncut ruby as big as a hen’s egg, which is supposed to have come from Siam. Beside this tiara were spread two lambskins covered with beautiful aigrettes of diamonds; and before them lay trays of pearl, ruby, and emerald necklaces, with countless rings. The famous Kaianian belt was also an object of wonder. This relic of barbaric splendor weighs about twenty pounds. It is nearly a foot in depth, and is incrusted massively with splendid diamonds, pearls, rubies, and emeralds.
The exhibition of arms was worthy of the Oriental taste for martial decoration, and recalled to memory the ancient fondness for such things, and the sword and scabbard of Mithridates, which has been mentioned in history as being of enormous value. Some of these, now belonging to the Persian Shah, are magnificently decorated with gold and gems, to the value of more than a quarter of a million of dollars.
The arms of defence of the Oriental nations have been noted from the earliest times for the beauty and splendor of their decorations, in which lavish use has been made of the finest diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and other precious stones, set in a variety of metals. The excellence of these precious productions was made known to the nations of the Mediterranean by means of commercial caravans long before the invasions of Xerxes or Alexander; and some of them are objects of admiration to the skilled artisans of the present day.
In Lahore, Benares, and Lucknow are yet preserved the secrets of the gold workers of Assyria and ancient Phœnicia, which have long been forgotten in the countries where they were invented. The enamels of these artisans, especially the green, red, blue, and turquoise hues, are not surpassed in beauty of tint by the finest enamels of Paris.
As Persia is the home of the turquoise, the traveller would expect to see the finest representative of the mineral species in this collection. And he will not be disappointed, for the specimen of turquoise treasured here above all others is of a magnificent color, from three to four inches long, and without a flaw. Its value is not given; but we may draw an inference from Shylock’s turquoise, which was worth “a wilderness of monkeys.”
Besides the above enumerated articles the treasury contains numberless objects of value not described, and among them piles of gauntlets and belts, massive with pearls and diamonds.
The present ruler of Persia, Nasiru’d-din, during his late visit to Europe, displayed upon his person many of the chief treasures of his crown. They were not, however, exhibited to advantage, for his costume was an incongruous mixture of the amplitude of nomadic ideas with the close-fitting symmetry of the French tailor. The ridiculous figure of the Shah, surmounted by the ancient lofty Persian hat, heightened in comicality by a pair of gold-bowed spectacles, presented a picture that detracted from the splendor of the gems which he wore. His coat, which was made after the style of the Parisian frock, was plaited over the hips and adorned with extraordinary gems. From waist to shoulder, arranged in echelon, were placed five enormous diamonds, each said to be larger than the English Koh-i-noor. The collar and sleeves of this garment were also fairly incrusted by brilliants of great beauty; while over his breast hung his various insignia and orders set with the finest of gems. His sword-belt and sheath were formed of gold, studded with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds; while his golden spurs were formed of diamonds of such perfection as to flash like sunbeams as he walked along.
Many fine diamonds are undoubtedly to be found among the nabobs and princes of India. And their concealment may have been advised by the lessons of the past. Fears of English rapacity may have caused the fracture of the famous Nizam diamond, or a report to that effect. This beautiful gem, which is said to have weighed three hundred and forty karats, belonged to the King of Golconda, and is said to have been broken at the commencement of the last Indian revolt.
In 1807 a fine diamond of seventy-seven karats was obtained by the Ranee Ruthen from the bed of the river Sumbhulpore; and in 1809 a fine gem of one hundred and sixty-eight karats was found in the sands of the river Mahamuddee.
The King of Ava possesses many diamonds, but of unknown value. Colonel Symes saw, in his visit of 1795, many rude ornaments of remarkable splendor and value. One of the state carriages fairly blazed with its decorations of burnished gold, covered with diamonds and other gems.
The Sultan of Mattan in Borneo is said to possess a remarkable diamond; but there is some doubt as to its authenticity, like its great rival, that of the King of Portugal. But Mr. Hugh Low, Colonial Secretary of the Island, declares in his work on Sarawak and its productions, published in 1848, that the gem of the Sultans is a real diamond, and of the great weight of three hundred and sixty-seven karats. It was, at that time, in the rough state, and its shape was that of an egg indented on one side. Its value was estimated by Mr. Crawford to be £269,378. Sir Stamford Raffles relates that the stone has remained as an heirloom in the royal family for four descents, and is almost the only appendage of royalty now remaining. The Governor of Batavia, desirous of obtaining the gem, is said to have sent Mr. Stewart to Borneo to negotiate for it. But although the tempting offer of $150,000, with two brigs of war with their guns and ammunition, was made to the Sultan, he refused to deprive his family of the rich inheritance which was supposed to be in the possession of the diamond.
In the time of Sir Stamford Raffles few courts in Europe could boast of a more brilliant display of diamonds than was exhibited by the ladies of Batavia in the prosperous days of Dutch commerce, when the trade of India and Eastern Asia was to a very great extent in the control of Holland.
We cannot properly close this chapter on the gems of Asia without making a brief allusion to that master-piece of architecture, the Taj Mahal, the palace-tomb, which Shah Jehan erected at Agra in memory of his beautiful and beloved wife. The Mogul Emperor promised the dying Empress the most beautiful tomb the world had ever seen; and he kept his promise. Even to-day, after so many centuries of neglect and pillage, the fairy-like structure rises to the view more like one of the dreams of the “Arabian Nights” than a material edifice constructed by human hands.
In its construction the wealth of India was placed at the service of its architects, and thousands of laborers were employed for many years. The chief architect was a Frenchman, M. de Bordeaux, who also designed the famous Peacock Throne at Delhi. Enormous quantities of precious and semi-precious stones of all descriptions were used in its ornamentation, and inlaid in its walls, its columns, and ornaments. The images were masses of glittering gems, and some of the mosaics were marvels of beauty and human skill.
In a curious manuscript, still preserved, is given an account of the gems, jewels, etc., and their value, used in the construction. All parts of Asia were searched for the richest gems,—Thibet for its turquoises, Ceylon for its lapis lazuli, Persia for its amethysts, Lunka for its sapphires, and Pannah for its diamonds. The famous Hindoo temple of Sumnat was, in the days of its perfection, one of the most renowned of all the shrines of India, and must have been a structure of wonderful richness, when its fifty-six pillars, incrusted and inlaid with multitudes of precious stones, sparkled in the morning light. Even at the present day its ruins, though despoiled of their ornaments, are very beautiful and impressive.