The Pind Collective

On the 75th anniversary of independence of our twin nations, here is a stanza from Agha Shahid Ali’s “By the Waters of the Sind”. On this Independence Day, may we remember that which holds us together, and that to which we may always return. Over the coming week, as we reflect on the legacy of this day, seventy five years ago, we will turn to the Pind Collective archives and the incredible work that our artists have produced, across borders and disciplines, over the past six years. We look back to look forward, to each other to more fully see ourselves.

While tales of the Koh-i-Noor have been widely documented, its origins have always been hazy.
In 1518, the kingdom of Golconda built its formidable fortress, Qila Muhammad Nagar (now called Golconda Fort). Golconda was home to 23 of India's 38 diamond mines, garnering it the moniker "Diamond Capital." The diamonds mined here were the purest, clearest, and most valuable. Today, none of the original diamonds discovered in Golconda exist in the vicinity.

It is usually assumed that the Koh-i-Noor was initially discovered by the Rajas of Malwa and was then acquired by Alauddin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi in 1304. This notion is frequently reinforced by a reference in Babur's autobiography, Baburnama, to a stone weighing 787 and a half carats.

However, it is certain that Koh-i-Noor was mined in Golconda. The travelogues of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a traveller, jeweller, and merchant from France, support this account. In the 17th century, Tavernier travelled to Asia six times over the span of forty years and published a number of travelogues. In his Travels in India, he records the presentation to Aurangzeb of a magnificent uncut diamond measuring 900 carats discovered in the Kollur mine. His records include drawings of the original shape of this priceless stone before it was cut.

While Persia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan all have legitimate claims to the jewel, the Koh-i-Noor was undoubtedly discovered in South India — in the Kollur mines of Golconda in what is now Telangana state. It was owned at various periods by Nadir Shah, Ahmed Shah Durrani of Afghanistan, and, of course, Ranjit Singh of Lahore, presently in Pakistan. Most people forget, however, that the diamond was first owned by the Qutb Shah of Golconda.
In attending to the origins of this famous gem, we aim to emphasise the rich history of the Deccan. For centuries, the Deccan has been geographically, linguistically, and culturally distinct from the rest of the Indian subcontinent. As we attempt to understand the ownership of cultural objects in national terms, the secret history of the Koh-i-noor helps us challenge the foundations of our claims.

We’re thrilled to announce our next participating artist for the .pahul ✨ Pahul Singh is an artistic practitioner from Jaipur, Rajasthan. She holds a BFA from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, and an MVA from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda. She was awarded the Narendra Gajanan Bhatt Gold Medal and the Late Milind Madhukar Bhade Gold Medal for Painting. In her practice, Pahul takes recourse to bookmaking, exploring the idea of the book as media. She is also interested in the contemporary use and modification of languages, the tension between the oral and textual, and the practice of self-naming.

Today, we’re excited to introduce the first of four collaborators we’re partnering with for the next edition of Secret Histories - the incredible storytellers at

Sibghat Khan is an architectural and visual designer, and the founder of The Deccan Archive. He founded the blog in November 2018 in order to put together a digital archive of the Deccan accessible to researchers and scholars. The Deccan Archive is run by Sibghat and his friends. They also conduct heritage walks with Deccan Archive in Hyderabad city every weekend where people come to learn about their city’s rich history. In 2021, Sibghat had co-authored an illustrated book on Hyderabad’s built heritage. So far, Deccan Archive has collected 100+ old books, several maps, 700+ rare photographs and other media from private archives.

Ayeshah Mohammed, born in the United States and raised in Saudi Arabia, is an artist and architectural designer based in Hyderabad, India. Ayeshah has been working with The Deccan Archive since the past two years as an illustrator and writer. She takes keen interest in historical fiction and old mansions and is currently working with digitising rare books from private collections.

We’re so excited to welcome them to the Pind family. Watch this space for more!