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23
Name of the book:
The Mountain of Light
Author:
Indu Sundaresan
Genre:
Historical Fiction
Publisher:
HarperCollins India
Year of Publication:
2013
Number of Pages:
352
Want to Read Rate this book 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars The Mountain of Light by Indu Sundaresan (Goodreads Author) 3.41 · Rating details · 662 ratings · 102 reviews By the time Queen Victoria slipped the kohinoor on her wrist, the gem had travelled around the world, changing hands over the centuries from one ruler to another in Persia, Afghanistan and India. The fascinating story of this 105 carat diamond opens in 1830, when the Indian Maharaja and founder of the Sikh empire, Ranjit Singh, takes possession of the massive jewel that has been passed from man to man, king to king and emperor to emperor, through blood shed and destruction, since the 1200s. When Ranjit Singh dies, four of his sons are slaughtered in wars with the British and the diamond is left to Prince Dalip Singh, a six year old child. The British governor general orders that the mountain of Light be secreted out of India in 1850 and the teenage king Dalip Singh follows the diamond to London to officially present it to the queen as a spoil of the Sikh War. He is feted and petted by the British monarchy for a long while until he realizes that all that Britain gives him cannot make up for the loss of his country and its celebrated diamond. Told in her inimitable trademark style, Indu Sundaresans The Mountain of Light is a wondrous and historically rich tale, as clear and as dazzling as a diamond itself.
Tags:
India, Historical Fiction
Status:
Available
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