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Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [748r] (1512/1814)
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
PERSIAN GULF
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
417
into prison by the Portuguese Governor, Don Mathias de Albu
querque, who did not at all relish the idea of British trade com
petition ; and who sent them on as prisoners to the Viceroy at
Goa, whence, after a further term of imprisonment, they finally
escaped in 1585. Master Ralph Fitch wrote thus of Ormuz :—
The Portugals have a castle here, which standeth near unto the
sea, wherein there is a captain for the King of Portugal, having under
him a convenient number of soldiers, whereof some part remain in the
castle and some in the town. ^ In this town are merchants of all
nations, and many Moors and Gentiles. There is a very great trade
of all sorts of spices, drugs, silk, cloth of silk, fine tapestry of Persia,
great store of pearls, which come from the island of Bahrein, and are
the best pearls of all others, and many horses of Persia, which serve
all India . 2
In 1627, five years after the expulsion of the Portuguese, Sir
Thomas Herbert, landing at Ormuz, described in his own inimitable
way the character of the city under their rule :—
Albeit the isle had little or nothing considered in itself, the city,
nevertheless, being furnished from most parts of * the Orient, abounded
with all things requisite, and was capacitated to supply other parts
with what was desirable either for the belly or eye. Such was the
excellency of the situation for commerce, such the industry and com
mendable ingenuity of the Portugal. . . The laborious Portugal
brought it to that perfection as it became the staple and glory of the
Eastern world. The houses within were exceeding newly furnished
with gilded leather and with Indian and China rarities ; the Buzzar
was rich and beautiful; the Churches splendid within; and both
within and without the Castle so regularly built and so well fortified
with deep trenches, counterscarp, and great ordnance commanding both
city and Haven, that none exceeded it through all the Orient . 3
1 When the town was taken by the English and Persians in 1622, T. Wilson,
chyrurgion, wrote of it as follows: ‘The citie of Ormuz was of great bignesse, the
Houses all built of stone, and seemed a most famous thing to looke upon from the
ships, with steeples and towres. They had fair and large Churches in it, strong
and stately buildings ; the castle of Ormuz was the fairest, largest, and strongest
that ever I saw’ (ibid. lib. x. cap. 9). On the topmost peak of the island, 650 feet,
stood the chapel of Nostra Senhora de la Penha. 2 Jfrid. lib. x. cap. 6 .
3 Some Yeares’ Travels (3rd edit.), p. 106. The worthy knight goes on to
describe the disembarkation of Sir Robert Sherley, Sir Dodmore Cotton, and him
self. ‘Wrapped in smoak and flame, we landed safely, though Neptune made us
first to dance upon his liquid billows, and with his salt breath seasoned the epi-
cinia. The Cannons also from the Castle and Cittadel vomited out their choler,
ten times roaring out their wrathful clamours, to our delight, but terrour of the
Pagans, who, of all noise, most hate artificial thunder.’
VOL. II.
E E
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 [748r] (1512/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213849.0x000071> [accessed 20 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