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Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [527r] (1066/1814)
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.
FROM ISFAHAN TO SHIRAZ
/ /
mausoleum and pedestal, is composed of great blocks of white, calcareous
stone like marble, as smoothly cut and perfectly laid as those in the
preceding fabrics, and like them held together in several places with
metal cramps, which have been as ruthlessly dug out and plundered.
The lowest terrace is a plinth, elevated only thirteen inches above the
ground. 1 The next three courses are much deeper, and are composed of
enormous blocks. 2 The three uppermost are shallower. 3 The dimensions
of the plinth at the base are 47 ft. 2 in. by 43 ft. 9 in. ; those of the
topmost tier are 26 ft. by 20 ft. ; and upon this stands the tomb, which is
21 ft. long by 17 ft. wide and 18 ft. 2 in. high. A bush has intruded^its
roots into the crannies of one of the upper terraces on the south-west
side, while another has established a lodgment on the roof itself.
Climbing the terraced steps we are confronted with the mausoleum,
which is built of three courses of limestone blocks, the lowest correspond-
Tlie tomb- ing in depth with the height of the doorway. Above the
highest runs a thin projecting cornice, and upon this is super
imposed the gabled roof, consisting of two tiers of immense stones, two
blocks composing the lower course, and one being laid upon them for the
summit. Access is gained to the interior by a low, narrow doorway,
2 ft. 3 in. in width and only 4 ft. 3 in. in height. If M. Dieulafoy is
right, the entrance, which is commensurate with the thickness of the
surrounding walls, was once closed by two doors opening upon each
other, so that both could not be thrown back at the same time—a further
device for securing the interior from the sacrilege of prying eyes.
Crouching so as to enter, we find ourselves in an empty chamber,
the ceiling and walls of which are blackened with smoke. The floor
consists of two great slabs, polished quite smooth with age, the larger
one being mutilated by great holes, perhaps hacked open with a
view to the discovery of what lay below. There are similar mutila
tions in the walls, and at the far end a string suspended from side to
side bears a number of brass, bell-shaped trinkets or offerings. On the
right-hand wall is carved an Arabic inscription within an ornamented
border, in the form of a mihrab or prayer-niche. The dimensions of
the cell are : length 10 ft. 5 in., breadth 7 ft. 6 in., height 6 ft. 10 in.
I have entered into these particulars with a view to the theory of identi
fication which I shall presently sustain.
1 In the early part of the century it was all but concealed beneath the surface,,
whence some travellers have only reported six terraces instead of seven. Some
limestone steps are reared against the lower tiers, which Flandin says belong to
one of two atesh-gahs, or fire-altars, whose remains are to be seen on the banks of
a small tributary of the Polvar, to the north-west of the Takht-i-Suleiman (vol. iv.
pi. 203).
2 Their depths are 5 ft. 5 in., 3 ft. 5 in., and 3 ft. 5 in.
3 Their depth is uniform, 1 ft. 10 in. each.
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 [527r] (1066/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213847.0x000043> [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