The Moonstone · Chapter
II explained
This chapter recounts the legendary history of the Moonstone, a yellow diamond originally set in the forehead of a Hindu moon god.
What happens
This chapter recounts the legendary history of the Moonstone, a yellow diamond originally set in the forehead of a Hindu moon god. It describes the stone's name, its supposed lunar influences, and its journey through centuries of conquest and plunder—from the temple of Somnauth, through the hands of Mahmoud of Ghizni, Aurungzebe, and finally to Tippoo, Sultan of Seringapatam. Throughout, three Brahmin priests guard the gem, awaiting the day when Vishnu the Preserver will restore it to them.
Themes in this chapter
Imperialism and Colonialism
The chapter details the violent seizure of the Moonstone by successive conquerors, illustrating the history of colonial and imperial plunder in India.
The Curse and Fate
The diamond is said to carry a curse that brings disaster to any mortal who steals it, and the prophecy of its eventual return to the Brahmins underscores the theme of fate.
Religion and Morality
The story is steeped in Hindu religious symbolism, with the moon god, the Brahmins, and the divine command to guard the gem, contrasting with the sacrilege committed by Muslim conquerors.
Key passages
“The earliest known traditions describe the stone as having been set in the forehead of the four-handed Indian god who typifies the Moon.”
According to ancient stories, the gem was originally placed in the forehead of a four-armed Hindu deity representing the moon.
Establishes the divine origin and religious significance of the Moonstone.
“The deity predicted certain disaster to the presumptuous mortal who laid hands on the sacred gem, and to all of his house and name who received it after him.”
The god foretold that anyone who stole the gem would suffer calamity, along with their entire family and descendants.
Introduces the curse that drives much of the novel's plot.
“Powerless to recover their lost treasure by open force, the three guardian priests followed and watched it in disguise.”
Unable to reclaim the diamond through direct confrontation, the three priests secretly tracked and guarded it while in hiding.
Highlights the persistent, covert vigilance of the Brahmins over centuries.