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Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [345v] (693/1814)
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.
462
PERSIA
of law for the regulation of justice. In the ‘ Times ’ I wrote
follows of this undertaking, purposely couching my remarks in
hopeful strain, so that I might not seem everywhere to see the
blacker side of the cloud :—
The Council, who have not the clearest notion of what is required
of them, have commenced the translation of the Code Napoleon and
have also been supplied with copies of that code as modified to suit the
exigencies of the French Mohammedan populations, and also of our
own Indian Mohammedan code; but, beyond this, have come to no
decision as to what is incumbent upon them. There are some who
regard the Royal command as a mere passing caprice, and expect no
practical result. It is to be hoped, however, that this will not be the
case, but that the Shah may be encouraged to proceed with a not un
promising design. The new code, however, if it is to be of any service"
must contain provisions for tribunals, as well as laws ; such provisions
being indeed, embodied in the European codes, upon which it will
probably be modelled. A difficulty may be experienced in procurincr
judges of integrity and worth, and no abrupt change can be expected
m the habits or moral standards of an Oriental country. But the eves
o the West will, at least, be directed with interest towards this fresh
attempt to emancipate Persia from herself; while the assistance of
foreign Governments may legitimately be given both towards the com-
wt nXlew!" “ j ' 0 ' “ W ““ oa-W-W*.
In response to recent inquiries (1891), I am informed that nothing
fmther has been heard of the new code, whence I am led to infer
bain rrr cellent SCheme has g° ne int0 waste-paper
basket, and that one more stone must be added to the cairn of
Din sllh ^ be6n S ° “Piously piled by Nasr-ed-
Under a twofold governing system, such as that of which I
have now completed the description-namely, an administration in
national 1 lleTrfbed ind T d ?T aspects ’ both the briber
character ed , and a judicial procedure, without either
confidenceVL 0 uncl< ' rstood th “ t
no personal sense of l ° «"> ll "“ ,h “* “
^ p lcie oi honour, no mutual trust or
co-operation (except m the service of ill-doing), no disgrace in
exposure, no credit in virtue nhnvA all ^ i •
patriotism. Those philosophers are W T “ 1 Spint OT
must ,.,o f P , v re rl g ht who argue that moral
must precede material, and internal exterior, reform in Persia. It
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 [345v] (693/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213845.0x000064> [accessed 6 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