Following the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, a trend emerged on social media platform Twitter, demanding the return of Kohinoor diamond back to India besides other precious items taken away by the British from different countries during the colonial era.
Netizens were of the opinion that the precious diamond, which was presented to Queen Victoria in 1850 and today sits on display as part of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, should be brought back to the neighbouring country.
Amidst all this, the one thing that’s getting highlighted is how the UK has many things in possession that were either taken away or looted from other countries during their colonial reign. Here’s a list of a few of those items.
Tipu Sultan’s ring was allegedly taken by the British from his dead body in 1799 after he lost the battle against them. According to many media reports, the ring was sold at an auction in the UK to an unidentified bidder for around 145,000 British pounds. According to many media reports and archives in history, in 1803, Lord Elgin allegedly removed the marbles from the Parthenon’s decaying walls in Greece and transported them to London. This is also the reason those precious marbles are called Elgin Marbles.
Since 1925, Greece has been asking for its priceless possession, but the marbles have remained in the British Museum. According to many local newspapers, archaeologists claim that they can prove that the Rosetta Stone was “stolen” by Britain. The Rosetta Stone dates back to 196 BC and according to historians, the famous stone was acquired by Britain after they won the battle against France in the 1800s.
Amongst many prized possessions of the Queen, the ‘Great Star of Africa’ diamond clearly stands out. It is the world’s largest diamond and weighs around 530 carats. Estimated to be worth around US$400 million, the Great Star of Africa was mined in South Africa in 1905. According to many historians from Africa, the jewel was mined in 1905 and was presented to Edward VII and they claim that the diamond was rather stolen or looted by the British government during their reign as colonists. The Great Star of Africa is currently in the Queen’s sceptre.
