found
at Panna. Though it is believed by some that the mines are of very
great antiquity, the history of them is defective. However, the Ätn-i-Akbart, by Abu'-l Fazl (1590),1 refers
to small diamonds having been found at 8 coss distance from the fort of
Kälanjar. It seems probable that these mines were worked in Taverniere
time, though he was not aware of the fact.
NORTH-WEST PROVINCES Simla ?
This is a very doubtful locality, but there are several diamonds in the
Calcutta Museum which were said to have been found in a stream near
Simla.
Note on the Golkonda and Bïjâpur Diamond Mines There
is a very important early description of the diamond mines of these
regions, which is of special interest, as it gives a clue to the
original source of many names of diamond sites which are to be found in
the modern literature of the subject. It was published in the Philosophical Transactions, vol.
xii. 1677, p. 907, having been presented to the Royal Society by the
Earl Marshal of England, who was then Henry Howard, afterwards Duke of
Norfolk. His term of office as Earl Marshal lasted from 1672-83. I am
inclined to think it may have been written by Mr. Cholmley, who is
described by Sir Streynsham Master2 as having been engaged
for several years before 1679 in making the annual purchases of
diamonds for the Company, especially at the mines of Gollapalle (or
Golapilly) and Malavalle (Mulêli or Mullavilly).
The
diamond mines of the Kistnä District belonged to the Kings of Golkonda,
Kutb-Shâhï dynasty, from the downfall of the Bâhmani Kings of the
Deccan (c. 1500) until their defeat and extinction in 1686. The mines
in the Karnûl District also belonged to them after the Rajas of
Vijayanagar were driven to the south in 1564. (See Kistna Manual, p.
244.) It is curious to note that while Tavernier only mention» three
localities in these regions by name, namely, Rammala-kota (his
Raolconda), Kôllûr (his Coulour), and Gandikota, together with another
unnamed locality (which was Gazerpalle, see p. 371), this paper,
published only a year after Tavernier's first edition appeared,
enumerates 23 mines in the Kingdom of Golkonda, and 15 in the Kingdom
of Bijäpur—in all 38. , As will be seen some of these names correspond
with names in the preceding list, others seem to be identical with
names of villages in the region, about which there is no independent
evidence of their having been diamond producing. The remaining names I
have failed to identify. As I hope on
1 Ed. Jarrett, ii. 159.
1 Kistna Manual, p. 147. Nathaniel Chumley, who lived many years at Golkonda : Eng. Factories, 1661-1684, p. 274».
