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Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [320r] (642/1814)
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.
THE SHAH—ROYAL FAMILY—MINISTERS
415
variously quoted to me as 40,000, 60,000, and 72,000
tomans
10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
, the
lowest estimate being equivalent to 11,400L, the highest to 20,500L ;
whichever it be, it is notoriously inadequate for the becoming
maintenance of royal state, a great retinue, and a large harem;
and the prince has continually found himself in the ignominious
position of being indebted to his own Prime Minister for the means
of defraying his expenses. From the Amir-i-Mzam he received
an annual contribution towards this object of 40,000
tomans
10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
.
Owing to his long residence in Azerbaijan, and to the close
proximity of that province to Russian territory, he has frequently
been credited with strong Russophile proclivities. There does not
appear, however, to be any more ground for this than for the other
damaging insinuations against his character ; the Prince seeing so
little of any Europeans that it is impossible to ascertain his real
sympathies. The Amir-i-Nizam was reputed to be a strong
Russophile, and in consequence to have encouraged the belief
that his feelings were shared by his royal master. In the lack of
any more serious occupation, the latter has devoted himself greatlv
to sport and shooting, being, like all the Kajars, a fine performer
both with a rifle and a shot-gun ; and being further devoted to'
artillery exercise, at which he is something more than an amateur,
making excellent practice with the Austrian Uchatius guns in
the arsenal at Tabriz. In appearance, as the accompanying photo
graph will show, he is of middle stature, and of handsome, but
careworn expression. He is the father of a large family, having
more than twelve children living, several of whom are already
married. His first wife—the daughter of Mirza Taki Khan, the
great minister of whom I have spoken, and consequently his first
cousin, her mother being the Shah’s sister—he parted with, owing,
it is said, to circumstances arising out of her father’s assassination.
One of her sisters was married to his elder brother, the Zil-es-
Sultan, but died many years ago. Such is the information that I
have been able to gather about the next king of Persia. He is
emphatically what would, in sporting parlance, be termed ‘ a dark
horse.’ It is quite possible, however, that upon his succession to
the throne, this unknown quantity may turn out somewhat of a
surprise. The recent eclipse of his elder brother has added to his-
prestige and chances, which, approved by the reigning monarch,,
recognised by foreign Powers, and accepted by the country, may
now be looked upon, humanly speaking, as absolutely secure.
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 [320r] (642/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213845.0x000031> [accessed 12 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