![Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎415v] (833/1814)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_0845.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎415v] (833/1814)")
Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [415v] (833/1814)
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.
•586
PERSIA
experiment was a complete failure and was sooner or later aban
doned ; nor would it be worthy of mention, even among the for
gotten episodes of history, had not one of this French contingent
been General Ferrier, who, after leaving the Shah’s service, made
the journey through little-known parts of Persia and Afghanis
tan, that resulted in his interesting work ‘ Caravan Journeys, 5
wherein may be found one of the most notable tributes to British
rule ever paid by a rival pen. The estimate of the material with
which they were called upon to deal entertained by the French
officers may be judged from the saying of one of their number
quoted by Binning :— 1
Les soldats n’ont ni discipline, ni respect, ni obeissance pour leurs
chefs. Ces derniers n’ont aucun sentiment de leurs droits, de leur
devoir, de leur dignite, et sont incapables de guider ou de reprimer
convenablement leurs subordonnes.
The French having disappeared, the Persians in their search
for military pastors and masters descended a little lower in the
6 Italians i n f erna tional scale; and about the middle of the century
Hungari- the military science of Europe was represented at Tehe-
ans ^
trians, ran by a number of Italian officers, refugees from Naples
and French an q y en i ce; and by a few Hungarians and Austrians, lent
to the Shah by the Emperor of Austria. The latter appeared upon
the scene in 1852, in the person of four officers, a doctor, a chemist,
and a mineralogist. Two died in Persia ; the rest vanished in
1858 and 1859. The Italian refugees arrived in 1854, six in
number, and lasted a longer time; for between the years 1865 and
1870, Air. Alounsey speaks of them as appearing in plain clothes,
without swords, but armed with stout sticks, with which they
belaboured the men ; a spectacle calculated to draw tears even from
a civilian. In 1859 another French mission turned up, under
Atajor Brognard, who brought with him four commissioned and
four non-commissioned officers, a bandmaster, and a mechanician
for the arsenal. All left in 1861.
Dissatisfied with these experiments, and disgusted at the
calamitous defeat experienced by a Persian army at Merv in the
autumn of 1860, the Shah now bethought himself again of his
ancient allies and once more applied for British assistance. It was
characteristic of the attitude of the British and Indian Governments
1 Journal of Two Years' Travel, vol. ii. p. 294.
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 [415v] (833/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213846.0x000028> [accessed 28 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213846.0x000028
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_100157213846.0x000028">Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎415v] (833/1814)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213846.0x000028"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_0845.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