66 THE GREAT DIAMONDS OF THE WORLD.
diamond
of which there is any distinct record. It takes its name from its
owner, Shah Jehan, fifth in succession from Baber, founder of the
so-called " Mogul" dynasty in Hindustan. As to its early history, there
was never any serious doubt until the Koh-i-Nur was brought to Europe
in 1850. Since that time its very identity has been called in question,
and, while some authorities continue to regard the two famous stones as
distinct, others now hold that they are really one under two different
names. There is, however, no real foundation for doubting the
individual existence of the two. Evidence to the contrary is as weak
as the facts on the other side are strong. The histories of the stones
differ in this remarkable respect, that the story of the Koh-i-Nur may
be said to have no beginning, while that of the Great Mogul seems, on
the other hand, to have no end. The available data, if duly considered,
must satisfy all candid inquirers that they are undoubtedly two
distinct gems, having little in common beyond their unusual size, and
their simultaneous presence for nearly a hundred years in the Khazana
or treasure-house of the Mogul emperors.
At p. 251 of his translation of Frangois Bernier's Travels in the Mogul Empire, Irving
Brock observes that " the largest diamond probably ever heard of is one
mentioned by Tavernier, who saw it in the possession of Aurung-zeb. It
was about as big as a hen's egg, and weighed 900 carats in the rough.
This was perhaps the ' unparalleled' diamond which Bernier informs us
Emir Jemla presented to Shah Jehan."
The Emir Jemla, here referred to, is the
