![Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎554v] (1121/1814)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_1135.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎554v] (1121/1814)")
Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [554v] (1121/1814)
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.
124
PERSIA
sculptures at Shapur), his hair is puffed and curled, and his hands rest
in front upon the pommel of his sword. His figure is visible to half-way
between the knees and feet, the latter being hidden from below by a
projecting surface of rock, of curving outline, which has somewhat the
appearance of a rostrum, but which, being smoothed in the form of an
empty tablet, may, it occurs to me, have been originally designed to
receive a subsidiary sculpture. The whole is at the height of several
feet above the ground. Acting upon the hint of the helmet, Canon
Rawlinson suggests as the subject of this bas-relief an incident in the
life of Varahran II., who, having commenced to rule tyrannically, was
taken to task by his principal nobles, instigated by the chief of the
Magi, and in reply to their expostulations, promised amendment and
reform. I doubt, however, whether a monarch would voluntarily select
such an incident in his career for eternal commemoration. Had a
Royal Academy existed in England in the days of King John, would
he have commissioned the President to paint a great picture of Runny-
mede and Magna Carta ?
Adjoining this panel is what Flandin describes as the ebauche of a
figure on the rock, but of which, as I did not notice it myself, I will
quote the words of other writers who did. Morier says : ‘ There is
besides another curious figure at full length, behind the rock, close to the
sculpture, but still making part of the same piece. 5 1 Porter writes :
c At one end, entirely distinct from the group, is the outline of an
extraordinary figure notched in the marble, not unlike the first idle
drawings of a schoolboy.’ 2
Separated only by two or three feet of rock from the bas-relief last
described, is the seventh and concluding one of the series. 3 It is, also,
Seventh. i n probability, the earliest in date, representing, as it
tablet :^ does, a scene which is again pourtrayed on the opposite side
and of the valley in the rock-recess of Raksh-i-Rejeb, as well as
Ardeslnr neighbourhood of Firuzabacl, namely, the investiture
of Ardeshir Babekan, or Artaxerxes, son of Babek or Papak, founder
of the Sassanian line, with the imperial cydaris by the god Ormuzd.
The two main figures face each other on horseback, their steeds, which,
with an excess of disproportion, are here little bigger than stout cobs
or ponies, touching their foreheads in the centre of the panel, whose
total length is over 22 feet. The figure on the right hand of the
spectator, as an inscription on the shoulder of his horse reveals, is that
of the god. Upon his head is the mural crown, with curled hair piled
above it, and subsequently falling upon the shoulders. His beard is
1 First Journey, p. 127. 2 Travels, vol. i. p. 559.
3 Texier, vol. ii. pi. 130; Flandin and Coste, vol. iv. pi. 182; Stolze, vol. ii.
pi. 115 ; Dieulafoy, pt. v. pi. 14, pp. 113-14.
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 [554v] (1121/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213847.0x00007a> [accessed 6 April 2025]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213847.0x00007a
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_100157213847.0x00007a">Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎554v] (1121/1814)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213847.0x00007a"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_1135.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