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Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [694r] (1404/1814)
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.
No. 2.
The Marquess of Lansdowne to Sir A. Hardinge.
Foreign Office, November 26, 1902, 4'40 p.m.
(No. 61.)
{Telegraphic.)
' YOUR telegram No. 72.
In your despatch No. 71 you stated that Agent of Sheikh of Mohammerah asked
for an assurance that England would not permit Russian ships of war to attack
Mohammerah in support of any attempts of Persian Government to coerce the Sheikh.
Erom your telegram No. 71 of 20th November I understand that you desire to
extend this assurance so as to make it apply to coercion by Persian Government or
any foreign Power, whether by land or sea.
In your despatch No. 82 of 11th May, you reported that the Agent asked if His
Majesty’s Government would give the Sheikh an assurance of protection similar to
that accorded to Sheikh of Koweit. That assurance, as you know, is limited to a
promise of good offices. You, however, inquired in what form the Sheikh of
Mohammerah wished to have the assurance, and the Agent asked for a promise that
His. Majesty’s Government would prevent the Persian Government from diminishing
the Sheikh’s present authority, or otherwise causing him trouble, so long as he
remained loyal, paid his taxes, and observed terms of his Agreement with Persian
Government.
There are obvious objections to a personal guarantee of this kind, which the
Sheikh might at any moment invoke for the purpose of compelling us to support him
against the Shah, whose subject he is, nor is it desirable to place him in the position
of being able to call upon us to support him, both by land and sea, in the event of a
threat from Persia with Russia behind her.
On the other hand, w r e should certainly not acquiesce in the seizure of Moham
merah by Russia upon any pretext. •
My despatch No. 2 of 6th January, which you have communicated to the Persian
Government, should leave no doubt as to this, and Mr. des Graz in notes inclosed in
his despatches Nos. 137 and 140 has again reminded Persian Government of their
engagement to consult His Majesty’s Government before any change is made in
position of Sheikh.
Could you not communicate substance of these announcements to the Sheikh,
telling him at the same time that assurance given to him in terms of my telegram
No. 59 is practically identical with that given to Sheikh of Koweit.
The best means of maintaining our influence will surely be a more frequent visit
of British gun-boats to the port, and not the giving of personal assurances which, if in
general terms, afford no satisfaction, and, if precise, commit us to a very inconvenient
extent.
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
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 4r:4v, 31r:32v, 433r:433v, 463r:463v, back-i, front-a, back-a, spine-a, edge-a, head-a, tail-a, front-a-i, 499ar:499av, 562ar:562av, 617ar:617av, 694r:694v, 710r:710v, back-a-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence