![Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎222r] (446/1814)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_0457.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎222r] (446/1814)")
Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [222r] (446/1814)
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.
In a recent issue we drew
attention to a passage in
Colonel Yate’s new book on
Omar Khay
yam’s Tomb.
Kkorasan. describing the dilapidated condition
of Omar Khayyam’s tomb in the ancient city
of Nishapnr. “ His account of it as “ a brick
structure 1 some three feet high, uncared for,
and without any inscription or mark,” ought
to make the members of the Omar Khayyam
Club blush. So far as we know, the Club has
done notaing to justify its existence save eat
and talk a great deal. It is accused of being
the outcome of a literary fad. Its members are
said to be not unmindful of the sweet uses of
advertisement, which they agreeably unite with
a devotion to the pleasures of the table. In
order to clear itself of this charge, the Club
might attempt to render to the shrine of its;
literary hero the reverent care denied it by j
Omar’s own countrymen. Colonel Yate says |
that the people of’Nishapur utterly neglect*
the tomb, and treat it with complete dis
dain. The reason they give is that Omar
was a Sunni instead of an orthodox
Shiah, and was despised accordingly. Many
of the townspeople have never heard of his
name, and even Colonel Yate s guide asked
him whether Omar Khayyam was a Christian,
as every European, especially every English
man, who came to Nishapur, went on pilgrim-
i age to his tomb. It is probable, therefore,
that the people of Nishapnr would not resent
* aoy attempt to restore and beautify the struc
ture, and provide it with an inscriptioxi. If
the Omar Khayyam Club is really in earnest—
which we are inclined to doubt, save where
dinners are concerned—it might easily do some-
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 [222r] (446/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213844.0x000035> [accessed 27 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213844.0x000035
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_100157213844.0x000035">Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎222r] (446/1814)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213844.0x000035"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_0457.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
- 222r:223v
- Author
- Unknown
- Usage terms
- Public Domain