![Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎748v] (1513/1814)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_1531.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎748v] (1513/1814)")
Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [748v] (1513/1814)
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.
418
PERSIA
Tavernier, a little later, recorded as a proof of the magnificence
of the Portuguese that, ‘ the very barrs of their doors and windows
were all guilt; the fortress was a noble thing ; and they also had
a stately church dedicated to the Virgin, where they were also
wont to walk.’
Aleanwhile the invaders had also possessed themselves of the
port of Gombrun or Comron on the mainland, about twelve miles
Rupture distant from Ormuz, having captured it in 1512 from
Portugal King of Lar, whose dominions had been severed from
and Persia those of the first Sefavi sovereign. While the mer
chants and nobles lived at Ormuz, the bulk of the trade was con
ducted at Gombrun, particularly of that passing overland into or
from Persia. Shah Abbas the Great, however, as he proceeded
with the consolidation of his power and territories, looked with an
increasingly jealous eye upon the usurpers in the south, who
occupied posts on his mainland, picked the plums of his trade, and
controlled his waters. c The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon ’
had served the Portuguese very well as a motto for acquisition;
but in the contemptuous neglect by them of the arts of peace, and
in the absence of any genius for colonisation, it did not facilitate
retention. The Portuguese were fanatical, oppressive, and destitute
of the true commercial spirit. Instead of conciliating, they
trampled upon Persian trade, compelling the Persians to purchase
from Portuguese magazines, at prices fixed by themselves, and
to ship their wares in Portuguese vessels. Shah Abbas accord
ingly looked around, and observing the rapidly growing power,
both mercantile and naval, of the British, made an alliance with
that people, by which, on certain conditions and in return for
stipulated commercial advantages, 1 they were to assist him in turn
ing out the Portuguese. In 1614 the Persian army under Baud
Khan, brother of Imam Kuli Khan, the famous Governor of
Pars, recovered Gombrun; and in 1622 the joint forces of the
1 The articles of agreement were as follows: (1) the castle of Ormuz and all
its ordnance and ammunition were to fall to the English ; (2) the Persians might
build another castle on the island if they pleased; (3) the spoil was to be equally
divided between Persians and English; (4) Christian prisoners were to fall to the
English, Mussulmans to the Persians ; (5) Persia was to pay half the cost of
victuals, wages, shot, powder, etc., expended during the operations; (6) the
English were to receive half the customs of Gombrun in future, on condition of
maintaining two ships of war in the Gulf to safeguard navigation; (7) theJEnglish
were to be duty-free in Gombrun for ever.
f
i
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 [748v] (1513/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213849.0x000072> [accessed 9 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213849.0x000072
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_100157213849.0x000072">Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎748v] (1513/1814)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213849.0x000072"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_1531.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