Ancient India: The Diamond Eyes of Gods
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the legendary history of diamonds, from Alexander the Great's encounter with the 'indestructible' gem in India to their divine symbolism in ancient cultures. It explores the myths, such as the Valley of Diamonds, and the scientific reality of diamond formation. The narrative traverses through time, detailing diamond mining's evolution, from India's ancient methods to the global trade that flourished under various empires. The script also touches on the impact of diamond mining on Indian society and the eventual decline of Indian mines with the discovery of new sources in South Africa and Brazil.
Takeaways
- 🔍 Diamonds were revered in ancient cultures, associated with divine power and invincibility, earning them a place among mythical treasures.
- 🌐 The name 'diamond' evolved from the Greek 'adamas,' meaning 'invincible,' and was linked to legends and divine equipment across various civilizations.
- 🏺 In Indian mythology, diamonds were connected to Indra, the chief god, symbolizing his power and used as 'eyes' in statues and as the 'vadra,' his thunderbolt weapon.
- ⛏ Diamond mining in India dates back at least 1600 years and was well-established, with detailed records in Sanskrit texts from the 4th century BC to the 6th century AD.
- 🌋 Diamonds form under extreme pressure or cold, typically in the Earth's mantle, and can reach the surface through volcanic eruptions, such as kimberlite pipes.
- 🌍 Historically, diamonds were tightly controlled and often forbidden from export in ancient India, remaining rare and mysterious to the outside world.
- 💍 The diamond trade evolved with time, from religious and cultural significance to personal ornamentation, with the development of various cuts like point cuts and table cuts.
- 🔮 Diamonds were a symbol of power and wealth for rulers, with the Mughal Emperors and other princes using them to enhance their prestige and fill their treasuries.
- 🚢 The arrival of European traders and the opening of new sea routes led to increased interest in Indian diamonds, breaking the export ban and introducing new cutting techniques.
- 💎 Some of the world's most famous diamonds, like the Kohinoor and the Hope Diamond, have origins in India and are associated with dramatic and often bloody histories.
Q & A
Who was Alexander the Great, and what was the legend about the jewel he found in India?
-Alexander the Great was a Macedonian ruler and military leader who conquered much of the known world in the 4th century BC. According to legend, when he reached India, he found a jewel as invincible as himself, known as Adamas. This jewel was said to be harder than stone or steel, invulnerable, and capable of cutting anything.
What is the origin of the word 'diamond,' and how did it evolve from earlier languages?
-The word 'diamond' evolved from the Greek word 'Adamas,' meaning 'that which conquers all.' Over time, this word transitioned through linguistic changes, eventually becoming 'diamont' in modern language.
How were diamonds viewed in ancient India, and what was their significance in religious and cultural contexts?
-In ancient India, diamonds were considered divine and were associated with the god Indra. The Sanskrit word 'Vajra' meant both diamond and thunderbolt, symbolizing power and divine weaponry. Diamonds were also used as the eyes of gods in Hindu temples and were considered powerful symbols of invincibility.
What was the legend of the Valley of Diamonds, and how did people supposedly retrieve diamonds from this dangerous location?
-The Valley of Diamonds was a mythical place described in medieval European and Islamic legends, where diamonds littered the ground, but it was inhabited by venomous serpents. According to the legend, locals would throw raw meat into the valley, and diamonds would stick to the meat. Eagles or the mythical Roc would then pick up the meat and fly it to their nests, allowing locals to retrieve the diamonds from there.
What did Marco Polo's account of diamond mining in India reveal about the process?
-Marco Polo described diamond mining in India around the year 1300, explaining that diamonds were found in riverbeds after torrential rains washed through rocks and caverns. However, this was not their original location, as diamonds formed under extreme pressure deep within the Earth's mantle.
How do diamonds form, and where are they typically found?
-Diamonds form from carbon atoms under extreme pressure or cold, either deep within the Earth's mantle or in outer space. On Earth, diamonds are found in specific areas, particularly in old, thick parts of the crust, such as in Canada, southern Africa, and India, often carried to the surface by geological eruptions called kimberlites.
How did diamonds spread from religious use to personal ornamentation in India?
-In ancient India, diamonds were originally used in religious contexts, symbolizing divine power. Over time, however, they began to be used in personal jewelry, such as rings, earrings, and bracelets, becoming popular among the upper classes by the early centuries A.D. Indian jewelers also developed techniques like the 'point cut' to polish diamonds.
Why were diamond exports from India historically restricted, and how did this change over time?
-Diamonds were historically viewed as symbols of divine power and invincibility in India, leading to strict controls on their export. Only lower-quality diamonds used for industrial purposes were exported. However, this restriction loosened in the 13th to 14th centuries, when Muslim rulers took over and began viewing diamonds as valuable ornaments rather than sacred objects.
What significant changes in diamond cutting and styles occurred during the 16th and 17th centuries?
-By the 16th century, Indian rulers began showcasing table cuts, where the top facet of the diamond octahedron was cleaved, creating flat surfaces. This evolved into more advanced cuts like the rose cut and eventually the brilliant cut with 58 facets, which enhanced the diamond's reflective qualities. These styles became popular among rulers and emperors.
What role did Indian diamonds play in European and world history, especially during the Mughal and post-Mughal eras?
-Indian diamonds were highly prized in Europe and other parts of the world. During the Mughal era, diamonds from India, particularly from the Golconda mines, were collected by emperors to showcase their wealth and power. Famous diamonds like the Kohinoor and Daria-i-Noor became part of royal collections and were often acquired through conquest or as gifts. Many diamonds ended up in European royal treasuries, including the British and Russian crown jewels.
Outlines
💎 The Legendary Origins of Diamonds
This paragraph delves into the mythical and historical beginnings of diamonds. It starts with the tale of Alexander the Great's discovery of diamonds in India, which were considered as invincible as he was. Diamonds were likened to divine weapons and were associated with gods in both Greek and Indian mythologies. The Sanskrit word 'vajra' symbolized the thunderbolt of the chief god Indra. The paragraph also touches on the legends of the Valley of Diamonds and the practical methods of diamond mining in India as described by Marco Polo. Diamonds are formed under extreme pressure or cold, typically found in the Earth's mantle or outer space, and can reach the surface through kimberlite eruptions. India, being part of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, had a rich history of diamond mining, which was well-established by the time of Alexander's arrival.
📜 The Ancient Diamond Trade and Its Cultural Significance
Paragraph 2 discusses the cultural and economic importance of diamonds in ancient India. The 'ratna pariksha' text from the 4th to 6th century AD details the various types of diamonds, their qualities, and associated deities. Diamonds were categorized based on shape, color, clarity, and were assigned specific uses and prices. The export of high-quality diamonds was tightly controlled, with only smaller, lower-quality stones being used for trade, particularly for drilling and engraving other gemstones. The paragraph also highlights the Roman perspective on diamonds, where they were highly valued and mostly known to kings. The Indian diamond industry was a significant source of state revenue, and the traditional point cut was the prevalent form of diamond cutting and setting in jewelry.
🔍 The Evolution of Diamond Cutting and Global Trade
Paragraph 3 explores the changes in diamond mining and cutting techniques, as well as the expansion of the global diamond trade. With the rise of Muslim rulers in India, diamonds lost their divine connotations and became status symbols and sources of wealth. The diamond mines of Golconda flourished, and the production of diamonds peaked in the 1600s under the Mughal Empire. The paragraph details the evolution of diamond cutting from the point cut to the table cut, rose cut, and finally the brilliant cut. It also recounts the histories of famous diamonds like the Daria-i-Noor and the Koh-i-Noor, which were involved in political transactions and conquests. The paragraph concludes with the opening of new markets and the increased interest of European merchants in Indian diamonds.
🌍 The Globalization of the Diamond Industry
The final paragraph outlines the decline of India's diamond industry and the rise of new diamond sources in South Africa and Brazil. It discusses how the exhaustion of Indian mines and the discovery of large diamond deposits elsewhere led to a shift in the global diamond market. The paragraph also touches on the synthetic production of diamonds and the enduring legacy of India as the land of diamonds for two thousand years. It mentions the colorful histories of diamonds like the Hope Diamond, which passed through various owners and was associated with a curse. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the transformation of the diamond industry from a controlled trade to a global phenomenon.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Adamas
💡Vadra
💡Kimberlite
💡Ratna Pariksha
💡Point Cut
💡Golconda
💡Kohinoor
💡Daria-i-Noor
💡Hope Diamond
💡Diamond Cutting
Highlights
Alexander the Great found a jewel in India that was as invincible as himself, which was later called Adamas.
Diamonds were associated with divine equipment like the lightning of Zeus and the hammer of Hephaestus.
The Sanskrit word 'vajra' meant both diamond and thunderbolt, symbolizing the power of the chief God Indra.
Diamonds were believed to be found in a Valley of Diamonds, protected by venomous serpents.
Locals retrieved diamonds by throwing meat over cliffs for eagles to carry back, as per medieval legends.
Marco Polo provided an account of diamond mining in India around 1300, mentioning riverbed searches.
Diamonds form under extreme pressure or cold, found in Earth's mantle or outer space.
Diamonds are brought to the surface via kimberlite eruptions, which occur in ancient crust regions.
India's diamond mining was a major source of state revenue, with strict export controls.
Diamonds were used for religious empowerment and personal ornamentation in ancient India.
The Ratna Pariksha text detailed diamond evaluation and use, suggesting various types and appropriate uses.
Diamonds were highly valued by Romans but were rare and often of low quality.
Indian diamond mining was an ancient industry, with evidence dating back to the 4th Century BC.
Diamonds were initially used in their natural octahedral forms before the development of cutting techniques.
The point cut became popular in India, preserving much of the diamond's material.
Diamonds were forbidden for export from India, remaining rare and mysterious outside the region.
The diamond export ban was lifted in the 13th to 14th centuries under new Muslim rulers.
Diamond mining in India peaked in the 1600s under the Mogul Emperors, who saw it as a source of power and revenue.
The Daria-i-Noor and the Kohinoor are famous diamonds with bloody histories, changing hands over centuries.
The Hope Diamond, originally bought in Golconda, is known for its alleged curse causing misfortune.
The exhaustion of Indian diamond mines in the 1800s led to the discovery of new sources in South Africa and Brazil.
Today, diamonds can be synthesized in laboratories, but for two thousand years, India was the unrivaled source of diamonds.
Transcripts
[Music]
thank you
when Alexander the Great reached India
he found a jewel as Invincible as
himself or so the Legends tell harder
than stone or steel it gleamed like the
sun and could cut anything while itself
invulnerable it soon joined the
lightning of Zeus the hammer of
hephestos and the girdle of Aphrodite in
the list of divine equipment referenced
by Poets and storytellers under the name
Adamas this meant that which conquers
all and was sometimes rendered ottoman
from there it was only a slight
linguistic detour to its modern name
diamont then diamond
in Hellenistic grease it remained with
the gods and just about as mythical to
the east though diamonds were real
though they had their Divine aspects in
India too the Sanskrit word vadra meant
both diamond and Thunderbolt And as in
Greece it was the all-conquering weapon
of the chief God Indra
the club that symbolized his power was
and still is called the vadra and
statues of Indra and other gods in
ancient Hindu temples had diamonds for
eyes
but Earthly rulers of India got a share
of the rare jewels as well medieval
European and Islamic Legends including
the Arabian Knights would later claim
that there existed a single Valley of
the diamonds where the precious stones
littered the ground
it was supposed to be a deep ravine in
the middle of a high mountain and it was
inhabited by serpents so venomous that
no man could get close and live to tell
the tale
the stories went on to describe how the
local inhabitants flung chunks of raw
meat over the cliff onto the valley
floor so that the diamonds would stick
to them Eagles or in the Arabic version
the legendary rock would snatch up the
meat and diamonds from the midst of the
snakes and fly back up to their nests
whereupon the locals would climb up and
retrieve the gems
alongside this Legend Marco Polo gave a
less picturesque but more accurate
account of diamond mining in India
around 1300. during the rainy season the
water descends in violent torrents among
the rocks and caverns and when it has
subsided the people searched for
diamonds in the riverbeds where they
find many
this was not however their original
location
diamonds are an arrangement of carbon
atoms that requires either incredible
pressure or incredible cold to form and
as such they are found in two places the
Earth's mantle or outer space all known
space diamonds are a few nanometers
across hardly enough for even a
microscopic engagement ring but diamonds
can grow to large sizes in the Earth's
mantle and sometimes they make it to the
surface in a sort of geologic high-speed
train called a kimberlite
this is a pipe-shaped jumble of rocks
created when material from the Earth's
mantle is suddenly blown almost 100
kilometers up through the crust at
supersonic speed
nobody quite knows why but these
eruptions seem to happen in the ancient
cold thick parts of the crust found in
places like interior Canada and southern
Africa and of course India which for
most diverse history was actually
attached to Southern Africa but broke
off during the Cretaceous and zoomed
Northeast where it slammed into the
Eurasian tectonic plate and rumbled up
the Himalayas
Rivers running down through the Deccan
Plateau eroded diamonds out of the
kimberlite rocks and left them in stream
gravel where miners dug them up and
separated them this was much cheaper
than mining serpent-infested valleys
with eagles and raw meat
unfortunately Polo's few sentences are
the earliest account of diamond mining
him itself which by his time was at
least a 1600 year old industry in India
Sanskrit texts ranging from the 4th
Century BC to the 6th Century 80 show
that the mining trade evaluation and use
of diamonds was already well established
in India when Alexander got there by the
time the ratna pariksha was written
diamonds were coming from at least eight
different minds and in numerous types
Each of which had a particular shape
color Clarity and deity associated with
it each also had a different range of
prices depending on its quality and the
ratna pariksha's author also helpfully
suggested what uses are appropriate for
the various types large or small he says
a diamond with visible defects is useful
only for lapidary work engraving or
polishing other gemstones a woman who
wishes to Bear Sons must wear a diamond
only if it is flat triangular and
featureless if a large and perfect
diamond is damaged while being mounted
it should not be given to the king
whereas the king who wears a diamond of
perfect quality is invincible and can
make himself master of all the lands
around him
given that they were viewed as both
indra's Divine Thunderbolt and an
Earthly super weapon it's not surprising
that the export of diamonds from ancient
India appears to have been tightly
controlled if not forbidden outright
that was especially true of the stones
whose quality Clarity size and color
made them suitable for jewelry
a few small poor quality diamonds or
diamond chips were being used for
drilling and Engraving other gemstones
around the Persian Gulf from at least
the 4th Century BC a practice that
continued well into the Middle Ages and
Beyond but the good stuff stayed closer
to home while the Sanskrit literature
treats diamonds as something that an
average upper class woman should
carefully select for the Roman writer
Pliny they were the most highly valued
of human possessions known only to Kings
and to very few even of them
even in the 3rd Century A.D the Romans
had only a few gem diamonds most of
which were in the Eastern reaches of
their empire around Syria and most of
those appear to have been the rejects
from the Indian gem industry all known
examples are tiny and not a very high
quality the Indian diamonds found in
ancient rings from Pakistan and
Afghanistan hundreds of years before the
Roman versions in Syria are actually
larger and better
there are no written records of
production so we don't know exactly how
long or how continuously the diamond
mines of India operated but diamonds
themselves show up in India and
surrounding areas from the last few
centuries BC and the Sanskrit texts
describe diamond mining and
Merchandising as a major source of state
revenue there was as yet no diamond
cutting the earliest gem diamonds were
just set in their natural octahedral
forms over time these became slightly
embellished at least by the early
centuries A.D Indian Jewelers began
using small chips of low quality diamond
to polish the natural faces of the
larger high quality Stones leading to a
flatter and more reflective set of
facets this became known as the point
cut and it remained one of the most
popular Styles in India for many
centuries
since not much of the diamond had to be
removed to make this the point cut
didn't waste material and it led to
rather large Stones being preserved the
shape may also have been seen as the
optimal configuration for transmitting
the divine power of the diamond
settings were often made so as to allow
the lower tip of the octahedron to touch
the wearer's finger
by the early centuries A.D the uses of
diamond had spread from religious
empowerment to include also personal
ornament judging by the spread of rings
earrings bracelets and anklets featuring
Point cuts
over the rest of the first Millennium
A.D Diamond Jewelry seems to have
remained popular among India's upper
classes while dynasties came and went
and Empires formed and fell there is no
evidence for anything other than the
traditional point cut in quartz was
often ground and Polished into octahedra
as a cheaper substitute or perhaps a
lucrative forgery some of the jewelry
was worn some of it was left in temples
as offerings to Gods whose eyes might
have been larger diamonds still
but for all their abundance in India the
export of diamonds was still forbidden
and they remained rare in mysterious
outside even in the Islamic World which
by the 9th century was getting quite
close to India only Kings could afford
even small diamonds The Scholar al-kindi
recorded in the late 9th century that in
spite of his Royal connections he had
never seen one larger than a pine nut
jewelry with small octahedral diamonds
is known from Pakistan Afghanistan and
Southeastern Asia but none reached
Europe then or for centuries later the
diamond export van was still in place in
the 1200s says a Muslim traveler and
only these small low quality stones used
in lapidary work were Exempted Marco
Polo similarly complained you must not
suppose that the good diamonds are sent
to Christians for they are carried to
the great Khan and to the Kings and
Chiefs of that country
India's Diamond export ban however did
not last much longer under the Hindu and
Buddhist rulers of earlier days diamonds
had been the eyes of gods and the
Invincible weapons of Kings this
connotation of power may have been what
protected them from export but in the
13th to 14th centuries a series of
invasions by turkic armies brought large
parts of India under the control of an
entirely new set of rulers mainly Muslim
who did not share in the culture that
venerated diamonds as Peerless Divine
armament for these diamonds were merely
one ornamental gemstone among others
and in that view the purpose of a
diamond was to Showcase a Sultan's Glory
or to enlarge his treasury with
considerable encouragement from the new
rulers activity in the diamond mine
sword most of it was concentrated in
Golconda where tens of thousands of
workers dug gravel of each mine and
washed it in baskets production hit its
peak in the 1600s as the Mogul Emperors
and various reigning princes saw the
gemstones as a way to enhance their
power Prestige and revenues not only did
they collect a 50 excise tax on the
greens assault and tobacco consumed in
mining settlements the largest and best
Stones were automatically Royal Property
meanwhile the miners toiled under harsh
conditions for low wages and were
searched upon exiting the work site
those caught stealing diamonds along
with their entire families that were
sold into slavery though one Dutch
Trader commented that given the labor
conditions and the minds this might
actually have been an improvement
by this point the Indian Coastline
played host to Merchants for Many
Nations and they were starting to take
an avid interest in buying diamonds
Europeans in particular were flush with
money made from Silver mined in Spanish
America and the invention of the caravel
had enabled them to cut out the Islamic
middlemen and sail straight to India and
now the diamonds they saw were available
in more shapes than ever before the
signs of the classical point cut rulers
like to Showcase their wealth with table
Cuts formed by cleaving the top facet of
the octahedron along one of the
diamond's many planes of weaker than
usual Atomic bonding
this cut had originated probably in the
1500s and by The Next Century it was
soaring in popularity the Mogul Emperor
Shah Jahan adorned his throne with an
enormous table cut diamond in a rare
pale pink color so clear that its modern
Remnant is known as the Daria e Noor or
sea of light
from table Cuts technology and taste
evolved to Rose Cuts pear shapes and
finally the brilliant cut with no less
than 58 facets in the later 1600s
this was the century when many of the
world's most famous diamonds began their
long and usually bloody histories the
Daria enur went to Persia in 1739 as
part of the ransom paid by the Mughal
Emperors to the Persian Shah who had
just occupied Delhi and it's still part
of the Persian crown jewels on its
Journey it was accompanied by the great
Mogul Diamond which was sold to a
Persian Jewel dealer who sold it to a
Russian count named Gregory orloff he in
turn gave it to Catherine the Great in
an unsuccessful attempt to resuscitate
their romance and today it sits among
the Russian crown jewels
still more famous was the third great
Golconda Diamond taken by the Shah the
Kohinoor or mountain of light
Legend has it that this had once been
the left eye of the Hindu goddess
bhadrakali in a temple in central India
after the turkic invasions it too made
its way into the mobile throne and was
carried with it to Persia in the Shah's
alleged ten thousand wagon loads of loot
one of his grandsons used it to buy the
Loyalty of the emperor of Afghanistan
the grandson of that Emperor forced to
flee to Lahore surrendered the diamond
to its Maharaja in 1813 when the British
annexed Lahore later that Century they
took care to Annex the Kohinoor II at
present it is claimed as State Property
by the British the Indians the
pakistanis and the Taliban
even diamonds that were purchased rather
than looted managed to obtain colorful
histories the French Merchant traveler
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier bought a blue
diamond in Golconda in the 1660s which
he brought to Paris and later sold to
Louis XIV it was stolen during the
French Revolution and turned up slightly
recut in the hands of a British Merchant
just days after the 20-year statute of
limitations on its theft expired it was
sold to a banker named Thomas hope who
gave the Hope Diamond its name
afterwards it passed through various
British Turkish and American hands along
the way being blamed for every suicide
accident mental illness bankruptcy and
failed relationship that befell anyone
in the same zip code when a 45-carat
deep blue diamond can't Market itself
well a historic curse makes a good
addition
in the 1800s the diamond mines of India
were already nearing exhaustion when
explorers in South Africa and Brazil
found Kimber lights with diamonds
rivaling those from Golconda in size and
quality Diamond rushes ensued the
industry of what was by then British
India collapsed and other diamonds
surged onto the market
today we can synthesize in the
laboratory octahedral carbon allotropes
as large and Flawless as Nature's Best
But for two thousand years India was
unrivaled as the land of diamonds
foreign
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