![Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎322v] (647/1814)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_0658.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎322v] (647/1814)")
Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [322v] (647/1814)
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.
418
PERSIA
Bakhtiaris in 1882. 1 The astonishment, therefore, was not great
when, in February 1888, the prince, being on a visit to the capital
was deprived of all his governorships, except that of Isfahan, and
denuded of all but a fragment of the fine army on which he had
so triumphantly relied. Acquiescing in his disgrace, he has since
led a more humble and contracted existence, and is generally re
cognised as having, at least for the time being, lost all chances of
future eminence or promotion. He has lately begun to exhibit a
closer personal interest in the details of his government in Isfahan,
where he acts as his own Vizier, and sits daily in one of the
cabinets opening out of the Chehel Situn, to receive in audience
any who may choose to come. The Zil was kind enough to accord
me an interview at Teheran; and in the above remarks I must be
understood to pass no personal sentence, but merely to reflect, with
as much accuracy as I can, the verdict of the well-informed.
The palace of the Prince is one of the finest in Teheran, having
an imposing fapade relieved with stucco work, and broad large
Interview w i n ^ ows * At the door was standing a carriage richly
with the adorned with gilt armorial bearings and drawn bv four
Prince • • ^
horses. Mounting a staircase, and passing through
several rooms decorated with a comic mixture of the European
and Oriental, I entered a long passage or corridor, one side of
which consisted entirely of windows filled with geraniums, while
the opposite wall was covered with pictures, chiefly replica
photographs and portraits of the Zil, illustrations from Russian
newspapers of Russian Emperors, generals, and battle scenes,
interspersed with innumerable coloured prints of sparsely attired
and languishing houris. The Zil was standing in the middle,
attired in a loose frock coat or pelisse of Persian cashmere material,
drab cloth trousers, and patent-leather boots. He took his seat
on an iron bedstead—a culminating example of the bizarre fur
niture of a Persian palace—which supported a brocaded mattress,
and in front of which were placed chairs. During the interview,
1 For this tragedy vide Wills, In the Land, fyc., p. 262 ; Persia as it is, p. 192.
The victim was Husein Kuli Khan, the
Ilkhani
The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran.
or Chieftain of the Bakhtiari
tribes, a man of enlightened character, a vigorous and beneficent ruler, and a loyal
subject. He was invited to Isfahan, where it was given out that he died of
apoplexy. It subsequently transpired that, having refused to drink a cup of
poisoned coffee, he was strangled. For further mention of this great chief, and
for the unfortunate policy pursued by the Persian Government towards the
Bakhtiari tribes and their rulers, vide vol. ii. cap. xxiv.
a youn
of age
His eh
the lad
Th
for his
His ap
pearand
and cqn-
versatio:
and as
from ^
flow (
stereo
would
tion a
say tt
world
hand,
rathe]
in Pe:
might
took
news]:
purpo
which
peace
great(
Russi
was g<
book,
profes
favoiu
recom
He tl
gover
were
which
follow
tion/ <
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 [322v] (647/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213845.0x000036> [accessed 5 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213845.0x000036
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_100157213845.0x000036">Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎322v] (647/1814)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213845.0x000036"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_0658.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
- 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