Anita Arnott

So at this point, and there is, as Willie quite rightly says, a huge to-do about which is the true story, the Sikhs insist that Ranjit Singh was awarded the Koh-i-Noor for his help in freeing Shah Shuja, but the Afghans say, no, no, no.

He tortured the son in front of the father and therefore tortured him and got him to give up this diamond that nobody wanted to part with.

Why didn't they want to part with it?

Because of the mythology around it.

So the wife of Shah Shuja, the Wafa Begum, had said, if you throw a rock into the air and you throw one to the left and you throw one to the right and you fill it with all of the gold and jewels, that is what the Koh-i-Noor is worth.

So that, you know, that is the kind of mythology around this diamond.

So it goes to Ranjit Singh.

Now, so far, not so good for anybody who's owned it.

You know, they've died horribly and before their time.

But what happens with Ranjit Singh is he wears it on his arm every day, not in any kind of like kiosk or throne.

He's going to wear it as if he's kind of thumbing his nose.

All powers temporal and supernatural.

Come get me if you think you're hard enough.

And he gets away with it until he has a catastrophic stroke as an old, grey, wizened man.

And he's lying on his deathbed.

And then there's a bit of a confusion because he can't speak.

Well, Willy, they think that because there was a story that he was surrounded by Hindu pundits.

And one of them said, wouldn't you like this to go to a statue of a god in Orissa?

That would be very good for your karma.

And Ranjit Singh, who couldn't speak at that time, signaled, yes, that is what I want.