In the East if one prince or potentate, or even a person of lower degree, wishes to pay a marked compliment to another, he after extolling the extreme elegance and richness of the other’s turban, whilst deprecating the value of his own, proposes as a mark of friendship and regard that they shall exchange turbans. In the more sordid West there might be some economic souls who would not wear their best head-gear when such interchanges of courtesies were imminent, but in the East the turban is a social insignia, and the higher a person’s degree the more magnificent his turban. Consequently, when two kings meet each other at dinner or other State occasions, it may safely be conjectured that they will wear their most magnificent turbans, each trusting that his own will outvie that of the other. Even an exchange which might entail a sensible loss would not be without its compensations, for all the courtiers on the other side would extol the magnificence and richness of the late possessor. Mahomed Shah very naturally did not for a moment foresee that so great a compliment would be paid him by the conqueror, or he would assuredly have left the Koh-i-Nur at home that night. To his horror and surprise, during the course of the dinner Nadir Shah made him a most polite speech, extolled his valour and wisdom, swore eternal friendship, and as a sign and token of the same suggested that they should exchange turbans! To the luckless Mahomed Shah no course was open but to accept the compliment with the best grace he could muster. It is not surprising to learn that during the rest of the feast Nadir Shah was in excellent spirits, whilst Mahomed Shah appears to have lost his appetite. Thus passed the great diamond to the King of Persia, who when he returned to his own land, took it with him. But it brought him no good fortune, for he was in due course murdered, and the Koh-i-Nur was taken by one of his bodyguard, an Afghan named Ahmed Shah. This soldier of fortune escaped to Afghanistan with the diamond, and there eventually became Amir or King of that country and founder of the Durani dynasty. In 1772 Ahmed Shad died and was succeeded by his son Taimur Shah, to whom also passed the Koh-i-Nur. Shah Suja, the next occupant of the throne at Kabul, succeeded also to the possession of the famous diamond, but it brought him no good fortune, for he was deposed and fled for his life to Lahore, taking the stone with him. There he found asylum with the Maharajah Runjeet Singh, the Lion of the Punjab, but as he soon found, only on condition that he handed over the Koh-i-Nur to his host.