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Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [632r] (1280/1814)
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.
THE EASTERN AND SOUTH-EASTERN PROVINCES 253
however, has filled its place in history; and its semi-ruined fort
on an elevation outside the modern town was the arh or citadel
of the former Bam, which even as late as the beginning of this
century was the strongest fortified place in Persia. It owed its
fame and strength originally to the Afghans who took it in 1719, and
were not finally expelled till 1801. In 1795 it was the scene of
the culminating tragedy in the brief but brilliant career of Lutf
Ali Khan, who after escaping from Kerman fled here, only to be
again betrayed to his ruthless enemy by a chief in whose fidelity
he had trusted. His horse was hamstrung, just as he had sprung
upon its back to fly ; he himself fell to the ground, and was taken
prisoner. The brutal eunuch put out his eyes with his own hands,
and despatched him to a cruel death at Teheran. On the spot, in
honour of the brave achievement, he erected a pyramid of the skulls
of 600 of his rival’s adherents, which was seen as late as 1810 by
Sir H. Pottinger. The importance of Bam was considerable when
it was a border town, exposed to the marauding fury of Afghan
and Beluch; an ample tribute to whose bygone devastations
is afforded by the numerous other ruined forts in the neighbour
hood. Their fame and use have now perished ; and with these
words we may bid both to Bam and them good-bye.
In our southward advance we next come to the extensive and
in parts still undefined province of Persian Beluchistan, which in
p . its present shape is the creation of the last thirty years,.
Beluchi- and to a large extent owes its existence to the interven
tion and recognition of the British Government. We find
ourselves standing accordingly on the threshold of politics, as well
as engaged in the domain of topography. In no work that has
yet been published is any succinct or satisfactory account supplied
of Persian Beluchistan as a whole; nor have the materials been
at the disposal of previous writers which could fit them for the
task. Here, therefore, I feel that I am breaking new ground, the
explorations and events of recent years enabling me to fill the gaps
that were left by the admirable narratives of the members of the
Boundary Commission in 1870. They were occupied in giving
to Persian Beluchistan an official existence and a geographical
meaning. We can scrutinise and describe the established fact. 1
1 I have compiled the following bibliography of Persian Beluchistan, omitting
such works as relate only to Independent Beluchistan or Kelat: Captain W, P.
Grant (1809), Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. v. 1839; (Sir) H. Pottinger
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 [632r] (1280/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213848.0x000051> [accessed 17 July 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