The infamous Koh-I-Noor diamond currently sits in the Tower of London among the crown jewels of the British monarchy, but its bloody, eon-spanning journey began in the riverbeds of ancient India. Cut, coveted, and stolen multiple times over, this is the story of the world’s most controversial gem. Told through a series of five chapters, we will look at some of the diamond’s most consequential owners, and how it shaped (or destroyed) their lives.

SOURCES: Dalrymple, William; Anand, Anita. Kohinoor: The Story of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond. 2016. Tharoor, Shashi. Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India. 2017. Axworthy, Michael. Sword of Persia: Nader Shah. 2006. Singh, Patwand; M. Rai, Jyoti. Empire of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. 2008. Atwal, Priya. Royals and Rebels: The Rise & Fall of the Sikh Empire. 2020. Eraly, Abraham. The Mughal Throne: The Saga of India’s Great Emperors. 2004. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices