The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-12-10
ONCE OWNED KoH.I.NooR.
The Maharajah of Lahore, Whom
England Has Spent Much Money.


Duleep Singh when a boy, was the
Maharajah of Lahore, and the owner
of the Koh-i-noor, or the Mountain of
Light, now the chief among the crown
jewels of England. Duleep was not
yet in his teens when the great Sikh
dynasty. of which he was. the last rep
resentative, fell before the arms of
England, and the little boy lost his
throne and his wonderful diamond.
The third clause of the treaty of peace
provided that 1.-THE gem called the
Koh-i-noor shall be surrendered by the
Maharajah of Lahore to the Queen of
England"
1t is doubtful if the English ever
spent so much money on any other
fallen foe as on the Maharajah of La
hore, observes the Boston Transcript.
He was taken to England along with
the Koh-i-noor, and no English prince
was ever more carefully reared and
educated. As he grew up to manhood
parliament voted him money to buy a
magnificent estate and $125, 600 a year
to keep the wolf from the door. He
became extremely lavish in his sx-
penditures, supported a first-class
shooting-box and stable, on grand
occasions outshone everybody in the
splendor of his diamonds, and in fact
became one of the most stunning
young men in England. He was now
and then a guest at the palace. and
was favorite in aristocratic society.
II should like" he said one day, ito
place the Koh-i-noer in the queens
hand now that I am a man. I was
only child when I surrendered it to
her by the treaty, but now I am old
enough to understand"
The very next day he was summoned
to the palace. The jewel was placed
in his hand, and for some time he toy
ed with it. Then the descendant of
eastern kings handed back the rich
prize of many conquests, and formally
remarked that it gave him much pleas
ure to place the jewel in the hand of
his sovereign.
But not great while after Duleep
Singh ceased to hold the queen in such
high regard. He begged to inquire
how many millions she was making
out of his old country, the Punjah,
while he was almost starving on the
beggarly pittaH1eev ans vsf 9f $125 s0s 0Q3 an Eear;
money when compared with the almost
the throne of Lahore. He appealed to
allowance, but the request was refused.
So Duleep Singh said that if he could
not have enough money to properly
support his dignity he would not take
penny. He therefore betook himself
and his gorgeous diamonds to foreign
parts. His gems, like the Koh-i-noor,
were worth a goodly fortune.
His departure moved the British to
contemplation. They really did not
know how much mischief the ex-
Maharajah might stir up among the
dissatisfied elements in India. He had
hardly crossed over to France before
the British offered him all he had asked
to come back. But he would not stir
a peg. He was the Sikh chief again,
robbed of his rights, his people and his
splendor by brutal invader. From
that position he has never swerved un-
til now. Nearly every court on the
continent has harbored him, and he
has ever been ready to tell the story of
his wrongs to all who would listen.
For years he has periodically issued
addresses to the Sikh people, urging
them to revolt and promising to ap-
pear among them soon to restore the
old regime. In the proclamation he
issued two years ago to the princes
and people of India, he signed himself:
Sovereign of the SIKH nations and
implacable foe of the British govern
ment."
Some of his friends in India have
always managed to have his proclama-
tions mysteriously placarded on the
bill board.
Of late years, however, these effu-
sions have been hardly more than
objects of derision.
Last year he wrote a letter to Queen
Victoria, telling her that it was high
time she restored the Koh-i-noor to its
rightful owner.
Of late years Duleep Singh has lived
mostly in Russia. He attended the
Paris Exposition last year. and an
English newspaper said he was look
ing rather seedy and "out of luck"
As far as is known, he has had no
means of support for many years. ex-
cept the gems he has occasionally sold.
He is now getting old, and it is certain
that his old spirit is broken, or he
would never renounce jot or title of
his regal claims upon the Punjab for
all the wealth and honor England
could give him. For many years he
had but to speak the word and
princely income would have flowed to
him from British Golfers. But he never
spoke the word.