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V.
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THE GREAT MOGUL.
A
Stormy Birth and a Tragic End — Two Centuries of History—Intrigue and
Murder—The Afflictions of Shah Jehan—An Honest Cutter—The Great Mogul
and the Koh-i-Nur—Eastern Magnificence—A King showing his Jewels to a
Visitor—Shape of the Great Mogul and its General Appearance — Its
Identity Established—A Usurper's Subterfuge—Shah Jehan's Desire to
Destroy all his Gems—The Peacock Throne —Mysterious Disappearance of
the Gem at the Fall of Delhi.
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ROUGHT
to light in the midst of tumults and wars, the Great Mogul Diamond went
out with the expiring flames of a mighty rebellion. Its existence
covers a remarkable and eventful period of the world's history. At the
time of its discovery, Roundheads and Royalists were fighting for
supremacy in England ; and after many tragic incidents of pestilence
and battle, the Deccan had just got its first independent sovereign.
Ben Johnson and Phillip Massenger were writing plays, and their
countrymen, who carried the commercial flag of the land into strange
seas, had just obtained authority to trade with the Portuguese ports in
India. The Great Powers were busy with their first important
explorations ; and the East India Company had newly received the
charter of Queen Elizabeth. A meteor among gems, the Great Mogul
challenged the wonder and admiration
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