Why Kohinoor is trending on Twitter after Queen's death?

London, Sep 09: United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday, at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne. Following her demise, the word 'Kohinoor' was trending on Twitter.

Many of the tweets using the term, including in dozens of responses to prime minister Narendra Modi' tribute to the late Queen, called upon Britain to return the Kohinoor diamond - one of the world's largest and most controversial - to its country of origin.

Kohinoor, also spelled as Koh-i-Noor, is a 105-carat gemstone which means 'mountain of light' in Persian. The stone is set in the crown of the Queen Mother, which is on display in the Tower of London. The diamond was found in India in the 14th century and is believed to have been mined in Kollur Mine, in Andhra Pradesh during the period of the Kakatiya dynasty.

The Kohinoor diamond has always been at the centre of controversy and speculation. The diamond has a long history and has seen several changes of hand over the years. While the Kohinoor is currently found in the Tower of London among the crown jewels, it was brought out briefly in April 2002 during the Queen Mother's funeral.

It maintains a huge emotional connect with many Indians who believe that the diamond found in India in 14th century was 'stolen' during the colonial regime. Take a look :

According to the UK Royal Palace, the Kohinoor was unearthed from Golconda mines in central southern India before it was handed to British monarchs in 1849. While historical evidence shows that the diamond was taken by the British Crown from 11-year-old Maharaja Duleep Singh of Punjab from his treasures in 1849 under the peace treaty that ended the Anglo-Sikh Wars, the Indian government in 2016 told the Supreme Court that it should not try to reclaim the diamond from Britain. The solicitor-general had then said the stone was "neither stolen nor forcibly taken" but was "gifted to the East India Company by the former rulers of Punjab in 1849", contrary to the majority belief.

The Government of India, believing the gem was theirs, first demanded the return of the Koh-i-Noor as soon as independence was granted in 1947. A second request followed in 1953, the year of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Each time, the British Government rejected the claims, saying that ownership was non-negotiable.

In 2000, several members of the Indian Parliament signed a letter calling for the diamond to be given back to India, claiming it was taken illegally. British officials said that a variety of claims meant it was impossible to establish the diamond's original owner,[67] and that it had been part of Britain's heritage for more than 150 years.

In July 2010, while visiting India, David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said of returning the diamond, "If you say yes to one you suddenly find the British Museum would be empty. I am afraid to say, it is going to have to stay put". On a subsequent visit in February 2013, he said, "They're not having that back".

In April 2016, the Indian Culture Ministry stated it would make "all possible efforts" to arrange the return of the Koh-i-Noor to India. It was despite the Indian Government earlier conceding that the diamond was a gift. The Solicitor General of India had made the announcement before the Supreme Court of India due to public interest litigation by a campaign group. He said "It was given voluntarily by Ranjit Singh to the British as compensation for help in the Sikh Wars. The Koh-i-Noor is not a stolen object".

For now, the famous Kohinoor-studded crown will be adorned by Prince Charles' wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who will become Queen Consort when her husband is King.