![Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎139r] (284/1814)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_0295.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎139r] (284/1814)")
Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [139r] (284/1814)
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.
KALAT-I-NADIRI 369
the two main gateways of Arghawan Shah and Nafta, there are three
other regular entrances, all narrow and difficult. The Deh Chah pass
near the north-west corner, leading to a village of that name one farsakh
beyond the rampart; the Chaubast Darband on the east side, towards
Haji Buland, and the Kushtani Darband in the south-eastern corner
below the Baba Kamagli peak, leading in the direction of Sarakhs.
There are also two or three steep footpaths, little better than goat tracks,
that give precarious means of entry ; otherwise the whole perimeter of
some 50 miles is guarded by absolutely impregnable cliffs. The internal
communications are rough hill paths, fit only for surefooted animals ;
even the main path from Arghawan Shah to Nafta is a mere stony
pack track.
I he morning after our arrival we paid a return visit to the Khan in
an annexe to the Mukbarra.
I he Khanship has been hereditary in the same family for many
generations. Fateh ul Mulk, or Fateh Ali Khan, to give him his name
instead of his title, is a man of about thirty-five, a pleasant and courteous
host, with the rather listless manner of the better-class Persian. He is
grandson of Behbud Khan, who entertained Macgregor at the time of
his visit, and of whom the latter wrote as being very intelligent and well
read. Kalat-i-Nadiri is now administered as a district under the
Governor-General of Khorasan, and is garrisoned by only twenty or
thirty soldiers from Meshed. The gardens within the Mukbarra en
closure were shady with plane trees, willows, and poplars, fragrant with
roses, and melodious with the song of nightingales.
A little beyond the Mukbarra is the blue-domed mosque from which
the place takes its name, Kabud Gumbaz. It is used as the mausoleum
of the Khans. The glazed-tile ornamentation of the dome and of the
adjoining “ Aiwans, 55 though much fallen into disrepair, is still beautiful.
In the forenoon we started to ride up to the Kamar-i-Khist as the best
point from which to get a general view. A stiff climb up a rocky spur
led us on to grassy uplands bright with spring flowers, sheets of white
candytuft, yellow mustard, 01: blue forget-me-not, sprinkled with scarlet
poppies, hyacinths, and irises ; but before we reached the village of
Khist, clouds had gathered over the hills to the west, and in front of
us the “ Kamar ,J itself became shrouded in mist. We turned back
none too soon, and made a perilous descent in a terrific thunderstorm.
All through the night, and during the next two days, the rain came
down with little intermission, affording additional proof of the isolation
of Kalat-i-Nadiri. Secluded at all times, when the “ Darbands ” were
closed by raging flood the place was completely cut off from the outer
world. Even the main pathway through Kabud Gumbaz became
almost impassable for man or beast.
The third morning broke clear and cloudless, so we started early to
make another attempt upon the Kamar-i-Khist. Again w^e scrambled
2 b
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [139r] (284/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213843.0x00005b> [accessed 5 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213843.0x00005b
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213843.0x00005b">Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎139r] (284/1814)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213843.0x00005b"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_0295.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- 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