![Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎760v] (1537/1814)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_1555.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎760v] (1537/1814)")
Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [760v] (1537/1814)
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.
iw^xJT^wa^/.
434 PERSIA
£
fljL- L « /-
outflow of their mercantile enterprise towards the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
,
did not confine their attention to its northern shore. On its way
to Ormuz, in 1506, a naval squadron, under the redoubtable
Albuquerque, appeared off the Arab shores of Oman, bombarded
or demanded immediate submission from every port encountered,
and presently anchored off the capital town Muscat, situated in a
/ ^land-locked cove, at a distance of about 80|) miles down the coast
from Cape Musandim, and ak4ess than half that distance from the
opposite Persian shore. 1 The inhabitants of Muscat, who professed
themselves subjects of the King of Ormuz, at first temporised,
but, thinking that the quality of the great admiral’s soldiers was
probably not better than that of his guns, which were far from
first rate, then ventured upon an ill-judged resistance. Albu
querque had no mercy. He landed his troops ; the miserable
defences were carried by storm ; and the town, as a punishment
for its contumacy, was given to the flames. Prom that time till
1650, the Portuguese remained in constant, though not undisputed
possession of Muscat. 2 In the latter year the Arabs, recovering
their strength, succeeded in ousting the intruder, whose prestige
was now universally on the decline; after which they overran the
shores of the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, scoured the seas with their buccaneering
craft, established a foothold as far south as Zanzibar, and so
terrified the King of Persia, that he made an offer to the English
East India Company to give them the same privileges at Muscat
as at Bunder Abbas, if they would co-operate with him in the
reduction of the pirate stronghold. The Company, having at
that time neither troops nor ships to spare for the operation,
returned an indecisive answer. The Arabs now became very
powerful; but in the second quarter of the eighteenth century
were cowed into temporary submission by the iron hand of Nadir
Sprenger, Die alte Geographic Araliens, 1875 ; Major Mockler and Colonel S. B.
Miles, Administration Report of
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, 1882, 1883.
Prior to the appearance of the Portuguese, Oman had been g’overned for a
period of nearly 900 years by a succession of independent rulers, entitled Imam,
who owed their elevation to the popular choice, irrespective of family descent.
This system continued down to the time of Nasir bin Murshid (1618-1644 A.D.),
after whom the succession was vested in a single ruling family.
In 1546 Muscat was bombarded by the Turks. In 1552 a powerful Turkish
fleet under Piri
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
anchored in the bay, and, after a protracted siege, took
the town. In 1580 Muscat was taken and sacked by an Arab expedition from
Aden under Mir Ali Beg. But after each of these vicissitudes the Portuguese
either remained or returned.
*
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 [760v] (1537/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213849.0x00008a> [accessed 8 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213849.0x00008a
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_100157213849.0x00008a">Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎760v] (1537/1814)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100157213849.0x00008a"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_1555.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