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Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [139v] (285/1814)
The record is made up of 2 volumes with inserts (898 folios). It was created in 1892-1924. It was written in English, Urdu and German. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
370 NOTES ON THE OKOVANGO AND KUNENE RIVERS
up the steep ascent, and by nine o’clock scaled the summit, following the
fresh track of an Ovis Argali, which showed that our approach had been
watched by sharper eyes than ours. Mist had gathered again, obscuring
the view. Immediately below us was the northern rampart cliff, and it
stretched away eastward, until in the distance its continuity was broken
by the Darband-i-Nafta gap. From the foot of the cliff the ground
slopes steeply to a maze of foothills and ridges which fall away to the
Trans-Caspian plain. The grassy slopes afford pasture to the flocks of
nomad tribesmen, some of whose black tents were visible far below.
Over the west shoulder of the Kamar leads the difficult path to Deh
Chah. Through the Darband-i-Nafta the road leads north-east to
Dushakh on the Trans-Caspian railway 16 miles distant, and crosses the
frontier at the Darband-i-Khoja half-way.
Temporary partings of the mist clouds revealed extensive views over
the Trans-Caspian plain and the Kara Kum desert beyond, stretching
like a sea to the horizon. Dark patches on the buff plain marked the
wooded enclosures around the stations on the Trans-Caspian railway.
To the north lay Kakhka, where in the preceding summer a little British
force had joined the retreating Trans-Caspian army and enabled them to
make head against the Bolshevist onslaught, and eventually to turn
the tables and drive the Red invaders back to the Oxus. Further north
east, but obscured by cloud was Dushakh, the scene of the desperate
fight on October 15, 1918, when the 19th Punjabis covered themselves
with glory, and struck the enemy the final blow that compelled the
abandonment of their enterprise.
Looking backwards over the interior of Kalat-i-Nadiri, the view was
of rolling downlike hills with here and there a sharp peak, all draining
to the deep valley of the Issik Su which lay below, and all bounded by
the wonderful encircling cliffs.
NOTES ON THE OKOVANGO AND KUNENE RIVERS
Maudslay Baynes
I HAVE been interested in articles appearing in the Geographical
Journal, u The Control of Climate by Lakes,” by Prof. E. H. L.
Schwarz, vol. 57, No. 3, of March 1921 ; and u Notes on the Kunene
River, Southern Angola,” by F. E. Kanthack, vol. 57, No. 5, of May.
Being acquainted with the Okovango and Kunene rivers over that part
of their courses most in question, that is the easterly course of the former
and westerly of the latter, I offer the following remarks.
The first question that presents itself regarding the Okovango is :
What proportion of its volume flowing past Libebe, say, may be supposed
actually to reach the Zambesi via the Chobe ? If I am right in supposing
About this item
- Content
These two volumes are George Curzon's own personal annotated copies of both volumes of his book Persia and the Persian Question , which was published in 1892. Alongside the volumes are various loose papers relating to Persia [Iran], consisting of the following: received correspondence; newspaper cuttings; publishers' press releases; cuttings from various booksellers' catalogues; various journal and magazine articles; two items of printed official British correspondence; several prints of photographs and sketches; and a few handwritten notes by Curzon.
In most cases these papers, which range in date from 1892 to 1924, relate to the chapters in the book where they were originally inserted, suggesting that they were kept by Curzon with the intention of using them to inform a revised edition of the book.
Of particular note among the small amount of correspondence are two letters received by Curzon in 1914 and 1915 from retired schoolmaster and Islamic scholar Sayyid Mazhar Hasan Musawi of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India (ff 5-9 and ff 44-53). These letters, which are written in Urdu and are accompanied by English translations, discuss in detail several inaccuracies found in the Urdu version of Persia and the Persian Question .
The various prints of photographs and sketches, which were originally inserted into volume two, are of different locations in the Gulf region. Several of these appear to have been produced in preparation for the publication of the second volume of John Gordon Lorimer's Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Oman and Central Arabia (i.e. the 'Geographical and Statistical' section) in 1908, as they are identical to the versions found in that volume.
Also of note among the loose papers are an illustrated article from Country Life dated 5 June 1920, entitled 'The People of Persia' (ff 36-37), and a printed family tree of the Shah of Persia [Aḥmad Shah Qājār], produced in preparation of his visit to Britain in 1919 (f 233).
Volume one of Persia and the Persian Question contains a map of Persia, Afghanistan and Beluchistan [Balochistan], which is folded inside the front cover (f 1).
The German language material consists of a publisher's press release for two books authored by German archaeologist Ernst Emil Herzfeld (ff 29-30).
- Extent and format
- 2 volumes with inserts (898 folios)
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: this shelfmark consists of two physical volumes. The foliation sequence commences at the first folio of volume one (1-463), and terminates at the last folio of volume two (ff 464-898); these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Each volume contains a large number of loose leaves, which have been foliated in the order that they were inserted into the volume; for conservation reasons, these loose folios have been removed from the volume and stored separately. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers of the two volumes.
Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English, Urdu and German in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [139v] (285/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213843.0x00005c> [accessed 17 March 2025]
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- Reference
- Mss Eur F111/33
- Title
- Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Questionby George Curzon, with Inserted Papers
- Pages
- 136r:139v
- Author
- Tod, John Kelso
- Copyright
- ©Royal Geographical Society
- Usage terms
- Creative Commons Non-Commercial Licence