Royal Family Lays Claim To Kohinoor Diamond, Says Was Stolen In 1303 – News18

Last Updated:February 21, 2025, 14:29 IST

Kamalchand Bhanjdev embraced his ancestral legacy after returning to India in 2010. His father, Praveer Chandra Bhanjdev was regarded as the 23rd king and last king of Bastar’s Kakatiya dynasty

The historic Bastar Palace Hosted A Grand Royal Wedding as Yuvraj Kamalchand Bhanjdev Married Kumari Bhuvaneshwari, Daughter of Maharaja Shivendra Pratip Singh of Nagod royal family on family on.

This wedding holds special significance as the first royal wedding in Bastar Palace in 100 years, following the palace’s construction in 1890.

Kamalchand Bhanjdev, the current Crown Prince of the Bastar Royal Family, holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the London School of Economics and pursued International Business studies in London.

Upon his return to India in 2010, Kamalchand Bhanjdev assumed responsibility for his paternal legacy. Kamalchand Bhanjdev is regarded as the 23rd king of the Kakatiya dynasty in Bastar. His father, Praveer Chandra Bhanjdev, is considered the last king of Bastar and continues to be revered as such. The local populace still holds him in high esteem.

Kamalchand Bhanjdev claims that the Kohinoor diamond, embedded in the British royal crown, has a deep connection with the Kakatiya rulers. Bhanjdev maintains that the Kohinoor once belonged to the Kakatiya royal family and was stolen from either the temple treasury or the royal treasury.

He believes that this diamond was originally extracted from the Golconda mines of Telangana, when the Warangal state, in present-day Telangana, was under the rule of the Chalukya Kakatiya dynasty.

According to Kamalchand Bhanjdev, in 1303, during a conflict between the Kakatiya royal family and Alauddin Khilji’s general, Malik Kafur, the Kohinoor diamond was seized. Subsequently, it came into the possession of the Delhi Sultanate rulers and eventually ended up in the hands of the British Crown.

The last royal marriage in the Bastar royal family took place in 1918, marking the second marriage of Rudra Pratip Dev. His first marriage was to Kasumalta in 1908, but following her death, Maharaj Rudra Pratip Dev married Chandradevi. Two years later, in 1921, Rudra Pratip Dev passed away. Since then, no member of the royal family has been wed at Bastar Palace, with all subsequent marriages occurring in different states.

Location :

Bastar, India, India