Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [207v] (417/1814)
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
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PERSIA
easterly direction. Tlie former aspect of the case indicates its
value to Russia; the latter to Great Britain.
Seistan presents to Russia a positive and a negative value, of
which it is difficult to say which is the more important. Should
Value to s he an y ti me h n{ ^ if politic or necessary to absorb
Russia Khorasan, the possession of Seistan would give her the
whole and not the northern portion only of that province. It
would further establish her in a position of close and almost im
mediate proximity to the advanced Indian frontier in Beluchistan.
At present there intervene between her own and the Indian border
500 miles of Afghan territory, which, though presenting not the
slightest physical obstacle to advance, are tenanted by wild tribes
much attached to their own independence, even if uninspired by
an y loyalty to their sovereign. In other words, advance through
Afghanistan means hard fighting with Afghans by whomever it is
undertaken. Solemn engagements would have to be broken, great
forces collected, and daily risk incurred, while such an adventure
was in course of execution. On the other hand, should a Russian
force, desirous I will not say of invading Hindustan, because we
are not at present called upon to discuss any such remote pos
sibility, bub of acquiring a position menacing and contiguous to
Hindustan, take up its quarters in Seistan, the above-mentioned
perils are thereby one and all avoided, no Anglo-Russian compact is
violated, no savage Afghans require to be fought. The forward frontier
of Russia would be brought over 300 miles nearer to the advanced
frontier of India ; and the change in position would involve a pro
portionately greater anxiety, outlay, and peril to the latter.
Russia would be unlikely to march even from Seistan against
Quetta, but she would have unlimited opportunities from this
base of intriguing with trans-frontier tribes, and of nibbling at
Beluchistan. How far her position against Afghanistan would be
strengthened is also self-evident. Russia in Khorasan means
Russia at Heiat; and Russia in Seistan would mean Russia at
Sebzewar and Farrah as well, the two most important strategical
points on the march from Herat to Kandahar.
I do not for the moment lay stress upon the other aspect of
the positive value to Russia of Seistan—viz. as facilitating her ap
proach to the southern seas because I assume that a Russian port
upon the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
or the Indian Ocean would no more be
tolerated by any English minister or government than would an
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 [207v] (417/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213844.0x000018> [accessed 19 June 2026]
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- Reference
- Mss Eur F111/33
- Title
- Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Questionby George Curzon, with Inserted Papers
- Pages
- 54r:135v, 147r:149v, 158r:180v, 183r:221v, 224r:224v, 227r:246v, 248r:257v, 259r:260v, 268r:362v, 364r:364v, 367r:388v, 390r:400v, 402r:416v, 419r:432v, 434r:444v, 448r:462v, 464r:471v, 475r:481v, 483r:513v, 516r:525v, 527r:544v, 546r:563v, 566r:598v, 600r:622v, 624r:656v, 658r:665v, 667r:675v, 678r:684v, 687r:688v, 691r:691v, 693r:693v, 695r:708v, 711r:721v, 724r:726v, 728r:729v, 731r:736v, 742r:742v, 746r:757v, 759r:761v, 763r:763v, 765r:765v, 772r:777v, 780r:789v, 793r:794v, 797r:809v, 811r:821v, 825r:840v, 843r:898v
- Author
- Curzon, George Nathaniel, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston
- Usage terms
- Public Domain
![Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎207v] (417/1814) Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎207v] (417/1814)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_0428.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg)