Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [443v] (889/1814)
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.
1
634 PERSIA
—without Turkish consent. And yet the line suggested is one that
does not profess for one moment to consult Turkish interests or
views; it neither opens up her resources nor connects her populous
centres; it does not save her from Russian aggression on the north
nor add to her own defensive strength in the south; it has in
fact, been discussed and decided solely in its bearing upon British
interests and upon the safety of the Indian Empire. But are we
entitled to assume that Turkey is so very warmly interested in
either ? My own experience of the Turkish Government in Asia
is that no axiom is dearer to its heart than that charity not only
begins but stays at home; and that, if there is a people or
a government at whose expense the Ottoman officials love to
assert their independence in a vexatious spirit, it is the British.
Before, therefore, we calmly discuss the question of making a
thousand-mile railway in our own interests through Turkish terri
tory, would it not be as well to ascertain what the Porte thinks
on the matter ? I have very little doubt myself as to what would
be the nature of the reply.
Considering that the project is advocated almost solely on
military grounds, it should at least be invulnerable in those
Military res P ects - 1 doubt exceedingly whether this could be
said of a Euphrates Valley railway. Not only, in the
impetuous desne to take a bee-lme to India, without considering
the intervening country, does it, as I have pointed out, ignore the
true strategical line for the defence of Asia Minor, which lies
greatly to the north (within the radius of Urfa, Diarbekr, Mardin,
and Mosul); but, laid as it would be across a lengthy and utterly
unprotected stretch of country, this railway would be peculiarly
exposed to attack, and would consequently provide a most unsafe
line of communication in time of war.
But strongest of all are the fiscal and commercial objections.
I do not see how such a line, running through such a region,
Economic cou ^ possibly be expected to pay ; and I should indeed
be loth to incur the responsibility of advising any
Government to saddle itself with even a limited guarantee. I fail
to see how it could pay, for three reasons : ( 1 ) because of the
tremendous initial outlay ; ( 2 ) because the line would not pass
through either an agricultural or a mining district, and local
traffic would be practically nil ; (3) because through traffic, either
of passengeis or of merchandise, would be small—far smaller
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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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- 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
![Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎443v] (889/1814) Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎443v] (889/1814)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_0901.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg)