In 1847 when the British had taken partial control of Lahore as the last of the
Anglo-Sikh Wars raged, and it became the formal British Residency, with Henry Lawrence and his brother John Lawrence as the Resident at the Court of Lahore.
"During the
Anglo-Sikh wars, it was observed by British commanders that guns of Sikhs which were made in Lahore were much finer then of their and could fire from more distance then of their guns."37
They consist of entries on the major faith traditions, including Zoroastrianism, Greek and Roman gods, Celtic and Norse gods, Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, and Sikhism; the religious dimensions of major wars and conflicts, such as the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Cold War, World War I, World War II, and the medieval European crusades against Middle Eastern Islam; religious aspects of smaller wars and conflicts, such as the
Anglo-Sikh Wars, the Balkan Wars, the Bishops' Wars, and the German Peasants' War; and key battles, leaders, philosophers, and theologians, as well as weapons.
As a result of conflicts between the British East India Trading Company and the Sikh empire,
Anglo-Sikh wars took place in 1840s and finally the empire was dissolved in 1849.
He claims that the erstwhile Sikh kingdom offered the gem to the British East India Company in 1849 as "voluntary compensation" for the expenses of the just-concluded
Anglo-Sikh wars. Add to that the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act of 1972, which does not permit the government to seek the return of antiquities exported before India gained its independence in 1947, and, according to Kumar, the Indian government has no recourse to secure the diamond's return.
The Indian government decided this week not to stake its claim on the diamond since it was given to the British as "voluntary compensation" during the
Anglo-Sikh Wars. Solicitor-General Ranjit Kumar claimed that it was a slippery slope to start claiming things from museums and that their own museums could begin to be emptied.
Amritsar, Oct.3 (ANI): Rare books, manuscripts and handwritten documents of the 16th to the early part of the 19th century, covering events related to Sikh gurus and the
Anglo-Sikh Wars, are soon to be digitised.
This happened shortly after the British had defeated the Sikhs in the bitter and gory
Anglo-Sikh Wars of the 1840s.
Sources: Bruce, George, Six Battles for India: The
Anglo-Sikh Wars, 1845-1846, 1848-1849.
The bloody
Anglo-Sikh Wars (Anglo-Punjab Wars in fact) eventually ended in the East India Company's victory.
The central government has told the apex Supreme Court that the heirs of Sikh Emperor Maharaja Ranjit Singh gave the Kohinoor to the British as "voluntary compensation" to cover the expenses of the
Anglo-Sikh Wars.