Introduction To The Book 'History Of Koh-i-Noor Darya-i-Noor and Taimur's Ruby' By Bhai Nahar Singh and Kirpal Singh

The book contains the official documents and selected writings of the prominent authors, relating to the world famous diamond, the Koh-i-Noor, as well as the Darya-i-Noor and the Taimur's Ruby,

These diamonds along with other gems, jewels and pearls were kept in the Toshakhana of the Sovereign State of the Punjab and its tributaries (1799-1849) with its capital at Lahore.

On the 29th March 1849, the British Agent Mr. Elliot declared to the assembled Chiefs of the truncated Sikh Empire, at a Darbar in the Lahore Fort, that as a result of the war and the final victory of the British, Maharaja Dalip Singh was deposed and the territories of the Sultanat were annexed by the British to their dominions in India.

The State treasury became the property of the East India Company and all articles in it were confiscated and appro­priated by the British, East India Company.

The Kingdom was carved out by the combined efforts of the Punjabies, Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims under the dynamic leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh after seven hundred years of the extinction of the Hindu Kingdom of Lahore under a             non-muslim Hindu Punjabi Raja.

The founder, unifier and consolidater, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was a minor when he succeeded to a small principality around Gujranwala after the death of his father Mahan Singh in 1793. He was surrounded by rivals, rebels, enemies and intriguers. Luck favoured him. Baba Sahib Singh Bedi of Una blessed him and helped him. He captured Lahore in 1799 from Bhangi Sikh Chiefs with the help, assistance, and consent of the Hindu and Muslim population and headman of the Walled city. He was soon declared as the Raja of Lahore by Lahoria Muslims and Hindus, jointly. He came to Amritsar in 1801 and formed an alliance of friendship and amity with the Ramgarhia Chief of Amritsar Jodh Singh by name. Ramgharia Sikh Misaldars were the custodians and defenders of the Harmandir Sahib. In 1802, he firmly stuck his foot at Amritsar as Raja of Lahore. Here he formed his friendship with Raja Fateh Singh of Kapurthala--a descendent of Sultan-ul-Qwami Sikhan Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Padshah. His mother-in-law, Sada Kaur, head of the Kanhya Misl with her Headquarters at Fatehgarh Churian assisted him greatly in consolidating his power and influence in the Bari Doab.

An adept in the art of winning over people and making friendship, Ranjit Singh made cordial relations with Seth Rama Nand of Amritsar, the famous Hundi-Wala Seth in Northern India. The old Seth loved him like his own son.

His grandmother Mai Desan was the daughter of an influential Gill Jat of Majitha Village. Naturally the Gill Jats of the villages of Majitha and Taran Taran Parganas helped their Dohta son. Men of his own Bhatti tribe around Khatra, near Ajnala helped him and joined his army.

Power and money always attract ambitious and adventure loving men towards a person, who appears master and lord of the land, in times of turmoil and disorder. Soon the rising Ranjit Singh gathered around him some of the bravest leaders of his army.

In 1806, Dewan Mohkam Chand left the service of Sahib Singh Bhangi of Gujrat and came to Lahore, presented him­self before Ranjit Singh and requested for a soldier's job under him.

In his book "Historical and Biographical Notices" publish­ed in 1865, Sir H. Lepal Griffin writes :

"Appreciating Dewan's talents, he made him Chief of his army, much to the annoyance of the Sikh Sardards."

The story of the Koh-i-Noor, the intense desire and wish of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to possess, own and wear it, the successful expeditions of Dewan Mohkam Chand and the fate of king Shah Shujah of Kabul are interlinked. And it would not be perhaps superfluous to give a short account of achievements of General Mohkam Chand-one of the greatest generals, that Punjab has produced during the first half of the nineteenth century.

The most distinguished of the generals by whose skill and courage Ranjit Singh rose from a subordinate Chiefship to the Empire of the Punjab was Diwan Mohkam Chand. The sagacity with which the Maharaja selected his officers was the reason of his uniform success.

Gifted by nature with Khatri Budhi (The Punjabi term) or a Khatri Tribe's inherited intuitive intelligence, and foresight, Mohkam Chand had assiduously studied the recent happenings in the Punjab, especially the flight of Jaswant Rao Holkar towards the Punjab after his defeat by the British Generals Lake and Ochterlony in Hindustan. Holkar as well as his pur­suers with their armies entered the territories of Raja Fateh Singh of Kapurthala and Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore unexpectedly. On the intercession of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Holkar agreed to the terms of the British Generals and retired to his domains far beyond Delhi.

The British became the undisputed masters of Delhi as well as Hindustan after defeating Sindhia and his allies, the 40 Sikh Chiefs of Karnal and Ambala in November 1803 at the battle the of Parpatganj near Delhi and defeating Holkar and his allies near Delhi in 1805-06. The titular king of Delhi was recipient of a stipulated sum from the company since 1764. The nominal king of Delhi (not of Hindustan) had no army, no treasury of his own, no control over courts, and no power of declaring war, peace or making treaties. From 1803 or the occupation of Delhi by the British to 1858, the Mughal kings of Delhi were in fact the pensioners of the British. A small patch of villages around Sonipat was left to the King as personal property for the maintenance of the Royal Kitchen.

In 1803, the Company Sarkar had taken possession of the districts of Delhi, Sonipat, Gurgaon, 'Rohtak and Sirsa from Maharaja Sindhia, and annexed this vast tract of territory to the Meerut Division of the N.W.P., with Headquarters at Agra.

After studying the Holkar-British episode at Delhi and Punjab, Mohkam Chand shrewdly anticipated that the next stage of the British conquest or extending political sphere of influence will be the territories between the districts mentioned above and the river Sutlej. This region was under 40 Sikh Chiefs of Sirhind (Ambala & Karnal), the Chiefs of the Phulkian tribe, the Bhai family of Kaithal, Arnauli and muslim chiefs of Malerkotla and Raikot. Some of these chiefs had been already negotiating with the British at Delhi to bring them under their protection.

In order to frustrate the future design of the British, the Dewan advised the Maharaja to bring this whole tract under Sikh Chiefs and Rajas under his control by conquest, diplo­macy or by treaty. In order to accomplish this object, he led the Lahore Army across the Sutlej in early 1806, and first seized Zira, which was for sometime defended by the widow of Sirdar Mehar Singh Nishananwalia Misl. He then reduced Jagat Singh of Buria and also Muktsar and Kot-Kapura, then Faridkot, from the Chief of which he obtained tribute, on the way seizing Mari from Hari Singh and Arbel Singh, brothers­-in-law of Hari Singh (H.L. Griffin).

In October 1806, he accompanied Ranjit Singh in his expedition against Patiala, in alliance with Raja Bhag Singh of Jind (his maternal uncle); when Ludhiana, Jandiala, Badowal, Jagraon, Kum, Talwandi and other districts were seized, some made over to the Raja of Jind, some to Jaswant Singh of Nabha, and others in Jagirs to Lahore Sirdars, Gurdit Singh, Fateh Singh Ahluwalia and Mohkam Chand.