A tinderbox waiting to be ignited, the world over!

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Based on David Grann's book (2017)
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

The narration is always the same. Again and again, history has repeatedly shown the same narration. The local population would live in harmony, in sync with their environment. The rambunctious mavericks from outside, with both eyes fixed on the wealth, would trickle in, peddle their snake oil elixirs and promise the moons and the stars. They would bulldoze their thinking into the local populace. The host would be cordial enough to accommodate the newcomers' wisdom, too. Once the shields are lowered, when the host treats the visitors as equals and gives them due recognition, they would zap. 

The bottom line is all about wealth, money and control. 

The Native Indians were nicely tugged into the New World, as 'discovered' by Europeans. The areas around Missouri and Kansas were occupied by a group that later became known as the Osage (Middle River) people. As the 13 original states of the USA expanded westwards, winning over the West, the Osage people were relocated to present-day Oklahoma. Even though their new land was hilly and barren, devoid of hunting grounds, they took it as they told themselves that at least they got the White men off their backs. 

Life works in mysterious tangents. Behind every prosperous find, there lies a catch. The discovery of black gold, aka petroleum, aka devil's excrement* is no different. 

Petroleum wells started welling up in their backyards, and their family coffers started bulging. The Osage proudly displayed their newfound wealth, buying the latest edition of the early 1920s post-WW1 prosperity automobiles, shopping the latest designs of luxurious Parisian outfits and basically living the life. Many were living the white men's lives, embracing the high life and the white men's religion. The Osage Elders realised the tide change would not last forever and decided that the deed of the Osage land would be collectively held as communal head rights. Leasing of land for oil earned them much royalty. It could not be sold to outsiders. 

Meanwhile, the US government decreed (Burke Act, 1906) that the Osage were not smart enough to manage their money. An act was passed to make them appoint a white guardian to manage their finances. This led to much exploitation. It became a legitimate means to cheat the Osage blind. The Osage had to obtain approval for their expenditure and were often over-billed through the roof by their guardians. Soon, there was a trend for white men to marry wealthy Osage women to manage their affairs. Pretty soon, a spade of deaths emerged amongst the Osage Indians in Oklahoma.

David Grann did his own research to write about the 20 Osage people murdered probably because of their ties to oil. The newly formed precursor to the FBI, the Bureau of Investigation (BOI), was assigned to investigate. The local rancher, politician and philanthropist was charged with murder. This book shows the ugly side of the self-proclaimed defender of the Truth, one who introduced culture to the Natives and a Christian to stoop so low as to wilfully bully, cheat and kill the people who invited them to their homes. The local white leader, who was seen as a do-gooder and a philanthropist with his nephew, had masterminded the killing of many Osage people. The nephew had even married an Osage lady but had conspired in her death and, probably, her sisters and mother, too. 

This episode is just an example of the numerous atrocities that white Americans have inflicted upon their brethren. In 1897, 300-400 unarmed immigrant miners at the Lattimer Mines, who marched peacefully for better wages and better living conditions, were gunned down by the Deputies. The Deputies would not acted like that if the miners were English-speaking Anglo-Saxons. 

Around the time of the Osage murders, in another part of Oklahoma, which was dubbed as one of the wealthiest black communities in the USA, colloquially known as 'Black Wall Street', the worst racial massacre in US history took place. A 19-year-old black man was accused of assaulting a 17-year-old white woman. Rumours spread that whites were going to lynch the accused. The blacks gathered around the jail to protect the accused. In that tense situation, a gunshot went off, and mayhem ensued.

There had been many Native American-related movies from Hollywood before. 'The Last Mohican' and 'Dances of Wolves' are some shining examples. Unlike the earlier films that stand guilty of having been 'whitewashed' to suit the narrative of the day, this movie tells the story from the Osage's point of view. The 3.5-hour-long film is worth the indulgence. 

*Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonso, a Venezuelan diplomat and one of the two founders of OPEC was the first to use this phrase in 1975: "I call petroleum the devil's excrement. It brings trouble. Look at this locura (madness in Spanish), waste, corruption, consumption, and our public services falling apart. And debt, debt we shall have for years. We are all drowning in devil's excrement!"

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Bloody diamond? Women's best friend, Men's enemy?

Koh-I-Noor

The History of the World's Most Infamous Diamond

Author: William Dalrymple

It is said in Vishnu Purana, an ancient Indian text, of a cursed gemstone, Syamanataka. The King of Dwaraka, Satrajit,  a worshipper of Sun God Surya, was given an audience as he was strolling on the beach one day. The gem that Surya was wearing was so radiant that King Satrajit could see his God. Surya removed his shiny pendant so that his devotee could visualise Him. Surya later gifted the gem, Syamantaka, to the King as a token of affection.

The gem turned out to be an albatross around its wearer's neck. Legend had it that it was good only to one with a pure heart.

Satrajit's brother, who was gifted with it, was mauled by a lion. The lion was killed by Jambavan, the Bear King. Jambavan gave the Syamantaka to his son as a play toy. 

Krishna, Satrajit's son-in-law, was accused of killing off Satrajit's brother to own Syamantaka. So Krishna had to lead a hunting party to track down the jewel. The party found it in possession of Jambavan, who refused to return the gem. A fierce, protracted battle ensued. With the help of His invincible weapon, Sudarshan Chakra, Krishna defeated Jambavan and cleared His name. 

As it was seen, Syamantaka was cursed with causing much envy and bloodshed. Centred around this story, Indians have many fables about the power of precious stones. Many local tales tell about the mystical powers of gems, their entailed superstitions and stories of guardian nagas. In fact, gemmology is an ancient science in India. The fascination of Indians with gold and precious stones cannot be overstated. They have given ornaments unique places in society, worship and personal grooming. Scripts after scripts have been written about decorations and the glow they contribute to youthful appearance and feminine beauty.

Around the same vein, a book surrounds India's most famous diamond, Kohinoor. In reality, it is not the most exotic or biggest diamond by any imagination. It, nevertheless, has captured the hearts of conquerors, marauders, mavericks and rulers over generations. 

For centuries, many sojourners and invaders to India had been captivated by the sea of wealth and gems that they saw in India. 

Kohinoor: The modern version

It is thought that Kohinoor may have been first noted during the Vijayanagar reign. Babur, a Turko-Mogul poet prince with a shallow opinion of India, had captured parts of India and acquired an extraordinary diamond in his conquest. Was it the Kohinoor? This stone was initially obtained by Alauddin Khilji in the 15th century when he invaded the Southern part of India.

Many gifts were exchanged between Humayun and the Persians, mostly of precious stones. At one juncture, Humayun (Akbar's father) lost his kingdom but got it back with the help of mercenaries and the parting of some Indian stones. 

By the time Shah Jhan ruled India, the Mughal Empire had probably reached its zenith, dripping with silk and jewels, second only to the Ottoman Empire. Diamond merchants were making a kill. Around this time, Victorian commentators identified a diamond as the most excellent Kohinoor (Mountain of Light), compared to Babur's exotic diamond that the absent-minded Humayun lost. 

Shah Jahan commissioned the most spectacular bejewelled object, the Peacock Throne, a massive golden throne covered with diamonds, rubies, pearls and emeralds. The idea was to make Shah Jahan comparable to the biblical King Solomon. There is a query about whether the fabled Kohinoor graced the Peacock Throne or was the different 'Great Mughal Diamond'. There needs to be more clarity. Others say that the 'Great Mughal Diamond' is the Orlov, which made its way to Russia and Catherine the Great. It is now on display in a Russian museum.

Subsequent Mughal successors proved to be weak. The Empire fell.

The Peacock Throne then became the possession of Nader Shah, a Persian mercenary who rose to power. A rock, which would eventually be labelled Kohinoor, lay on one of the peacock heads. The rule also collapsed, and the Afghni Darranis became the proud owner of the gem. Maharajah Ranjit Singh, of the Sikh Empire, capital in Lahore, wrestled it from him and wore the Kohinoor on his white turban. Ranjit Singh was to be dressed austerely in all-white. Kohinoor was much in contestation. Later in his life, Ranjit was debilitated by a series of strokes that rendered him unable to vocalise. At one juncture, it was assumed that Ranjit wanted the Kohinoor to be placed at the Lord Jagannath temple in Puri. The Sikh Treasury, however, wanted to be willed to his successor.

This is when the story gets interesting. It shows the conniving nature of the colonial forces who have only one thing on their mind, acquiring wealth at any expense without giving a damn to the human beings they lie, con and plunder.

After Ranjit's death, the confusion of succession and the internal squabble between Ranjit's wives and half-siblings, Rani Jindan Kaur, the 17th wife, took the rein as the regent on behalf of her five-year-old son, Duleep Singh. Again, internal squabbles over the running of states were the best opportunity for the British to separate mother and son. After the Second Anglo-Sikh War, the British eventually took over Punjab and ousted Duleep Singh. A 10-year-old Duleep just signed off everything to the British.

Property of the Crown

Duleep Singh was adopted by a British agent who managed to brainwash him into loving everything English and later converting to Christianity. He was sent to study in the United Kingdom with Queen Victoria as his stepmother.

To mark the grandeur of the East Indian Company, the Marquis of Dalhousie thought presenting the Kohinoor to Queen Victoria. What could be more satisfying than having Duleep Singh give it to her? Meanwhile, bringing the coveted Kohinor proved to be quite challenging. It was quietly sneaked out aboard HMS Medea with so much drama behind the scenes. It seems the curse of Kohinoor was already rearing its ugly head. There was a cholera outward onboard, and they were refused a stopover at Mauritius. Soon afterwards, the vessel sailed directly into a 12-hour gale, almost breaking into two.

The British public was riled to believe that an exotic diamond was coming to their shores. Unfortunately, they were not impressed when viewed in Crystal Palace, Hyde Park, London. The Indian idea of cutting diamonds differed significantly from the European cut. The Indian diamonds are less shiny. Tinkering with lights and lamps failed to impress the crowd. Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, decided to summon the royal jeweller, Messrs Garrard. The jewellers promised to cut the diamond without losing a single carat but to give an admirable lustre. All that turned out to be hogwash as the size of Kohinoor was slashed to almost half its size and unrecognisable.

Queen Victoria, the de facto proprietor of the Kohinoor, lost Prince Albert six years after gaining possession. Albert died at 42 of typhoid. Kohinoor was dawned on a black widow's gown. 

Meanwhile, at 21, Duleep Singh became a rebel. He developed Sikh consciousness and wanted to re-establish his lost Sikh kingdom. His letters to his estranged mother were intercepted by the British. After much wrangling, a meeting was arranged between mother and son in Calcutta. She followed him back to the UK. 

Kansan died soon later. Duleep's patriotic fervour grew further. To embarrass the British royal family, at the age of 26 years, he went on to marry a 16-year illegitimate child of a slave from an Egyptian convent who did not speak any English. His failed attempts at stirring Punjabi nationalism frustrated him. His way of spiting the British was to have big wild booze parties and send the bill to the Home Office. 

After learning of Duleep Singh's fate and perhaps of Queen Victoria's unhappy life after acquiring the Kohinoor, it was implanted in the public psyche that the gem was cursed. So, with the passing of Queen Victoria, the diamond was handed not to her successor, King Edward  VII, but to her daughter-in-law, Queen Alexandra. 

It had subsequent cuts and was used by Queen Elizabeth I and is now to be used by Queen Consort Carmella.

Since 1947, every time Kohinoor makes its presence in the public sphere, be it QE II Coronation or King Charles III's latest, screams of claims for lawful ownership of Kohinoor are heard. Right now, the contenders range from Puri's Jagannath temple, which Ranjit Singh had allegedly gifted to, to Punjab, where Ranjit's treasury was and never left to Pakistan, where Lahore, Ranjit's capital, used to be to Afghanistan from whose King, Ranjit had taken from, to India to all these countries these regions are from.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.