Following last week's death of the longest reigning British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, many have started calling for the British government to surrender artifacts that the British Empire obtained.
One item that many are calling to be surrendered is the Kohinoor diamond, one of the most well-known diamonds in the world that is currently a British crown jewel.
In calling for its surrender, many have said that the colonial history behind the nation's possession of the diamond is unethical.
The Kohinoor was originally 186 carats but was cut down to 105 carats to be more appealing. Experts have shared that its place of origin is most likely South India, having been discovered sometime in the 13th century, the BBC reported.
The diamond has been a part of several different dynasties throughout history. It was first held by the Mughals in the 16th century before the Persians, and the Afghans obtained it. In 1813 it was finally acquired by Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
After the passing of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, his son, Maharaja Duleep Singh, was responsible for the Kohinoor, which means "Mountain of Light," before Punjab was annexed in 1849 by the British.
At the time of the annexation, Duleep was only 11 years old. However, he signed the Treaty of Lahore, which had a stipulation that the queen of England would get the diamond. According to the BBC, a Scottish statesman and governor-general of India, Lord Dalhousie, wrote in 1849 that he coerced Singh to "gift" the diamond to Queen Victoria.
Experts have shared that some artifacts obtained were seen as trophies, but the story of how they were taken was not always appealing, Danielle Kinsey, an assistant professor of history with a focus on the history of 19th century Britain and empire at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, shared with NBC News
"More importantly, it has a history of being part of war booty or trophies taken as the result of war in South Asia. So in a lot of ways, it is a symbol of plunder and represents the long history of plunder imperialism," Kinsey said to NBC News.
The British government has defended its imperialism in India and across the world by saying it attempted to civilize colonized populations instead of trying to plunder, according to Kinsey.
"The actual histories of British imperialism tell a much different story, one of horrific violence, dispossession, prejudice, and significant economic exploitation," she said. "I think people are outraged by how the Kohinoor continues to function as a trophy of empire as long as it remains in the crown's possession."
After being taken from Punjab, the diamond was displayed at the Great Exhibition in 1851 and has remained in England ever since.
Whether or not King Charles III will depart the diamond and the crown it sits on is unknown, but many speculate it will be given to the new queen consort Camilla, as is tradition.
"If the pattern holds of what's happened with previous monarchs, it should become part of the jewelry available for Camilla to use," Kinsey said, adding that she doesn't know for sure.
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