Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [352v] (707/1814)
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.
476
PERSIA
siderable. although hitherto most inadequately explored. Article 11
ran as follows: ‘ The Imperial Bank being ready to incur forth
with the sacrifices necessary for developing the resources of the
country by the exploitation of its natural riches, the Persian
Government grants to the said bank, for the term of the present
concession, the exclusive right of working throughout the Empire
the iron, copper, lead, mercury, coal, petroleum, manganese, borax
and asbestos mines which belong to the State, and which have not
already been ceded to others. The Persian Government shall as
an appendix to this concession, deliver to the Baron de Beuter on
the day of the signature of these presents, an official list of mines
already ceded. The gold and silver mines and mines of precious
stones belong exclusively to the State, and should the engineers of
the bank discover any such they must immediately notify the same
to the Government of his Imperial Majesty the Shah. Excepting
the necessary engineers and foremen, all the workmen engaged on
the mines must be subjects of his Imperial Majesty the Shah. The
Persian Government shall assist the bank by all the means in its
power to obtain workmen at the current wage of the country. All
mines which the bank has not commenced working within ten years
of its formation shall be deemed to have been abandoned by it, and
the State may dispose of the same without consulting the bank.’
Article 12 promised that the lands necessary for working the mines
should, if on State domain, be given free, whilst, if they belonged
to private individuals, the Government should co-operate in getting
them for the bank on the most favourable terms. No import duty
was to be charged on the necessary materials, and the lands and build
ings should be exempt from all taxes. Article 13 fixed the share of
the Government m the profits of the mines at 16 per cent., and also
that on the expiiy of the term of the present concession, the
mines, with theii lands, buildings, accessory constructions, and
p ants, should leveit to the Persian Government according to the
most favouiable mles and regulations generally adopted by other
1 owers who have stipulated in this behalf.’
How this extensive and important mining concession, amount-
mg to t re command of the mineral resources of Persia, was disposed
of y the Impelial Bank, how a Corporation was specially formed in
joncon foi its pm chase and for the execution of its terms, what
steps a\e since been taken by the company so constituted for the
exp oration or exploitation of Persian mines, and what success
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 [352v] (707/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213845.0x000072> [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
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