The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-29
THE KOH-I-NOOR GEM
Maharajah Singh Dethroned and
Robbed of q Famous Jewel.
Queen Victoria Now Wears It as the
Brightest and Biggest Diamond in
Her Majesty's Crown.
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
The principal events in the life OF the
Maharajah Dhuleep Singh are soon told.
though the romance connected with 1T
would not be exhausted in a page of the
Herald. The Maharaiah was born in 1898.
He was son of the famous Runject Singh.
Rajah of the Punjaub. Dhuleep was an In
FAINT when his father died, and the demon
allied state of the regency and army in
duced the British Ministry to annex the
principality under certain conditions, one
being that the young Maharajah should re-
ceive four acres of rhpees-equivalent to
$4,000 sterling-per annum. Afterward the
Maharajah became Christian, took UP his
abode in England and was naturalized.
His mother, the notorious Rance, also re-
sided in that country until her death in
1863, but resisted steadfastly all persua-
sions TO become a convert to Christianity.
1t was at one time supposed that the
NIaharajah would take for a wife the
Princess Victoria of Coburg, but in 1861 he
was married at the British consulate at
Alexandria to young Protestant lady, a
British subject. She died in September,
1887 and in May. 1889. he married in Paris
Miss Ada Douglas wetherill The Mahara-
JAN purchased estate near Thetfor
England, where he resided for some years
In 1885 he presented to the British govern
ment a claim for increase of pension pay
ment OF personal debts and other things to
which he considered himself entitled This
claim claim being disallowed. he left England for
Indiana, but was not permitted to land
The Maharajah Dhuleep Singh recently ex-
pressed deep regret for the course Of hos
tility which he had pursued toward Eng
land since 1886, and her Majesty. by the a3-
vice of her Ministers, was graciously
Pleased to accord her pardon to him
prsno lar m Inc biographical notice of the dead
rr1nGe. Torn away from his kingdom by
the British government when q mere how
when ne did not comprehend the signif,
canoe OF events. In later years when he
had grown to manhood in England. he fulIv
understood the wrong that had been done
MN. He was mere child when England
MIN his large pension after he had been
nduced to sign away his birthright and to
send s,ed as a present to Queen Victoria the
or Mountain of Light, the value of which
ne then could not know, but which was
one of the greatest treasures among the
crown jewels Of Lahore The Lion Of the
PunJaub had been conquered By England
ana after the battle of Sobraon 1.-THE little
Manara1ah, attended by Rajah Gholah
Siingn, came as a supplicant for mercy TO
Sir Henry Hardinge"
ROBBED BY VICTORIA.
In the early years of his residence in Eng
land, when still a mere youth when he still
thought England was his guardian and
benefactor, Dhuleep once had the famous
hoh-i-Noor in his hand. 1t was then a far
different stone than the one he had surren-
dered. It had bean reduced in size but the
skill and art of the diamond cutter had
opened In It new fountains Of light and
color. Dhuleep said Il should like to
place the jewel in the Queens hand now
that am a man. was only a child when
l surrendered 1t to her by the treaty. but
now am old enough to understand" Queen
victoria heard OF this speech and the next
Iay ne had his fa-aily heirloom, that mag.
nificent sign Of conquest, in his hand After
a rev minutes he returned the stone and
said that II gave him great pleasure to
In later years to regain possession of the
gem with his lost Indian empire was his
its history and the history of the country ltrv
over which he came to believe he should
have been restored to rulership. The boy,
VINO haa been educated in England, where
ne lived on his own estate and sported
shooting box and stable, like any English
man with plenty Of money, wanted to be-
trymen. He told the tale Of his wrongs
and appealed for aid to a European court.
~ he urged his people to rise and promised
Early In the year 1888. when war between
England and Russia seemed to be a prob
In Moscow, undoubtedly at the instance of
Russia, to whom he would have been Of
great service IN case of an invasion Of
India In January, 1885, it was reported
from Moscow that he was about to take up
his residence at Tifiis In February of the
same year he sent to India proclamation
issued in Paris and addressed to his Broth
er princes and the people of India" with
these words: "Countrymen, be bravei Be
great and noble like your ancestors. But,
above all, for Gods sake, be united among
yourselves Remember that only in unity
can strength be found against our enemies''
He claimed in the document that there were
thousands of brave men in Europe and
elsewhere that would gladly fight for the
deliverance of his countrymen, and that
of Irish soldiers then in the British army
in India would freely shed their blood in
the cause He wanted them to raise s15,-
OOOOOO TO buy arms and munitions of war
and to have the money placed in the hands
of a committee of organization in Europe
On his way to Moscow the Maharajah
had stopped at Paris and had been there
interviewed by writer of the Voltaire to
whom he told his plans and his dreams.
He began the conversation by the remark
that the Prophet Braribabuka had pre-
dicted in 1725 that he, the Maharajah, would
one day be King of India, and that he be
heved in the prophecy. 1T was to have
commenced TO be accomplished when / was
| fifty years of age" added Dhuleep Singh
land as am now in my fiftieth year the
moment is near at hand when ] will be
| hailed as sovereign by 2500)0,000 of my fell
| low countrymen. Ny father was the King
of the Punjaub and ruled over 220oO.OO0 sub
| Jects. L am the son OF one Of his forty-six
| wives-not the eldest son, however, for he
| was killed on the day that our father was
buried by the gate of the palace which fell
on him and broke his skull This accident
| was followed by p general family row IN
which my other brothers were extermin-
| ated and I was Immediately atterward bro
| claimed King of the Punjaub. 1 was then
| only five years of age, and so my mother
| was placed at the head of the council Of
| the regency. Among our people my mother
was considered as a woman with SUPER
| natural powers. She was as much vener.
| ated in India the Holy Virgin is in
Europe.
when the sepoy revolt took place the
English forced my mother to remain neutral
| by taking possession of my person IF 7
| were to give the signal to revolt my
mother said to the leaders of that move
ment the English will kill my son. can
| do nothing for you. Submit to the English
and wait. The hour of delverance will
come for us. My son will do for you what
| j am not permitted to attempt The En-
glish government in taking me under its
| guardianship had promised to give me an
| income of 1OOO.0OOf a year in addition to
my revenues as sovereign of my states,
| which were somewhere in the neighbor-
| hood of 10000, 000f
II was then twelve years OF age Since
| then have had a very difficult time of IL
The climate of Europe and the ways OF
Europe are very far from being as pleasant
as those of the East
| WAITING FOR RUSSIA'S AID
The Maharajah was fully convinced that
the time was ripe for gaining. with the as