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The Great Mogul: Jemla

The Emir Jemla, here referred to, is the Mirgimola of Tavernier, a well-known Persian adventure, who rose to great power in the Court of the Rajah of Golconda, and whose history is inseparably associated with that of the "Great Mogul." This stone had been found apparently about the year 1650 in the Kollur mine on the Kistna. Soon afterwards it fell into the possession of Jemla, who dealt largely in precious stones, and acquired vast wealth, "by means of his extensive commerce with various parts of the world, as well as by the diamond mines, which he farmed under feigned names. These mines were worked with indefatigable industry, and he was accustomed to count his diamonds by the sack." When Aurung-zeb began about the year 1655 to intrigue both against his father, Shah Jehan, and his three brothers, Dara, Murad, and Sultan Sujah, he was joined by Emir Jemla, who had become suspected by the King of Golconda, and who consequently sought the first opportunity to withdraw from his power. After dwelling on the important results that flowed from the alliance of Aurung-zeb and Jemla, Bernier tells us in the passage above referred to by Brock that, "Jemla, who had by his address, contrived to obtain frequent invitations to the Court of Shah Jehan, repaired at length to Agra, and carried the most magnificent presents, in the hope of inducing the Mogul to declare war against the Kings of Golconda and Viziapur, and against the Portuguese. On this occasion it was that he presented Shah Jehan with that celebrated diamond which has been generally deemed unparalleled in size and beauty." The diamond in question, to which this passage contains the earliest known allusion, all are agreed in identifying with the "Great Mogul," and it is impossible that it could have been the Koh-i-Nur; for that gem, as will be seen further on, had already been in the possession of the Mogul emperors ever since the time of Baber himself.

The next and last distinct reference to the Great Mogul is by Tavernier, who saw it at the Court of Aurung-zeb in 1665, apparently about ten years after it had passed out of the hands of Emir Jemla, and just one year before the death of Shah Jehan, at that time a prisoner in the fortress of Agra. In his Six Voyages, Tavernier refers in three places to this gem, and as his statements are often incorrectly repeated by writers who have not taken the trouble to consult the original work, it will not be amiss here to quote the passages in extenso. At p. 226, Vol. II., he thus describes the occassion on which he saw and examined the stone:-- "On November 1st, 1665, I was at the palace to take leave of the King. But he sent word to say that he did not wish me to leave without seeing his jewels, since I had seen the splendour of his fete. Early next day there came five or six officers from the Nabob Jafer Khan to summon me to the King's presence. On my arrival at the Court the two keepers of the royal jewels, of whom I have elsewhere spoken, accompanied me to his Majesty, and after the customary salutations they brought me to a small room at one end of the hall where the King was seated on his throne, and whence he could see us. In this room I found Akel Khan, chief keeper of the State jewels, who on seeing us ordered four of the King's eunuchs to fetch the jewels which were brought on two large trays, lacquered with gold leaf, and covered with small cloths, made on purpose, one of red velvet, the other of embroidered green velvet. After uncovering and counting over the pieces three several times, an inventory of the same was drawn up by three scribes present on the occasion. For the Indians do everything with great care and composure, and when they see anyone acting in a hurry or irritated they stare at him in silence and laugh at him for a fool. "The first piece that Akel Khan placed in my hands was the great diamond, which is rose cut, round and very high on one side. On the lower edge there is a slight crack, and a little flaw in it. Its water is fine, and weighs 319 1/2 ratis, which make 280 of our carats, the rati being 7/8 of a carat. When Mirgimola, who betrayed his master, the King of Golconda, presented this stone to Shah Jehan, to whom he withdrew, it was in the rough state (brut), and at that time weighed 900 ratis, which make 787 1/2 carats, and there were several flaws in it. Had this stone been in Europe it would have been treated differently; for some fine pieces would have been taken from it, and it would have remained heavier [than it now is], instead of which it has been quiteground down. It was Hortensio Borgis who cut it, for which he was also badly paid. When it was cut he was reproached for having spoilt the stone which might have remained heavier, and, instead of rewarding him for his work, the King fined him 10,000 rupees, and would have taken more if he had possessed more. If Hortensio knew his business well, he would have taken from this large stone some fine pieces without wronging the King, aud without having so much trouble to grind it down. But he was not a very skilful diamond cutter."

The second passage occurs at p. 277, where he is describing the diamond mine, "called Gani, in the language of the country, and Coulour in Persian, and where he tells us that the Great Mogul was found:-- "A number of stones are now found here from 10 to 40 carats, and even occasionally of much larger size. But amongst others, the great diamond which weighed 900 carats before being cut, and which Mirgimola presented to Aurung-zeb, as I have elsewhere said, had been taken from this mine." Lastly, the third passage occurs in his account at p. 305 of all the large gems he had anywhere seen. At the head of the list he places the diamond under consideration as "the heaviest of which I have had any knowledge. This diamond belongs to the Great Mogul, who did me the honour of showing it to me with all his other jewels. The form is shown in which it remained after being cut, and having been permitted to weigh it, I found that it weighs 319 1/2 ratis, which make 279 9/16 of our carats. In the rough state it weighed, as I elsewhere said, 907 ratis, which make 793 5/8 carats. This stone presents the form of an egg cut in half."

The last passage in this paragraph explains the statement made by Brock, and frequently repeated by others, that this stone "was about as big as a hen's egg." But Tavernier does not compare its size to that of a hen's egg, but only says that in form it resembled an egg, cut in half." This is fully borne out by the illustration which accompanies his description of the stone in the first edition of his work, Vol. II, p. 334.

But there are a few discrepancies in Tavernier's own account, which, however, admit of easy explanation. The Aurung-zeb of the second passage is obviously a slip for Shah Fehan, for we know from Bernier that it was to the latter prince, and not to his son, that Emir Jemla presented the stone, as is in fact stated by Tavernier himself in the first passage. The 900 carats of the same passage is also evidently an error for the 900 ratis of No. 1. But the 907 ratis = 793 5/8 carats, of No. 3 is not so readily reconciled with the 900 ratis = 787 1/2 carats, of No. I. But as these figures refer to the stone in the rough, they are really of little consequence, and the discrepancy is easily accounted for when we remember that Tavernier saw the stone only after its reduction by Borgio. Hence he knew nothing of it in the rough state, except on hearsay, and he may at different times have heard two different statements regarding its original size.