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'History of the Great War based on Official Documents: Operations in Persia 1914-1919' [‎19v] (43/566)

The record is made up of 1 volume (279 folios). It was created in 1929. It was written in English. 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. .

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10
OPERATIONS IN PERSIA
Persian
character'
istics.
Social, Militayy and Religious. justii
In spite of the many waves of conquering invaders who in phys
the past have swept over Persia leaving their mark on the they
inhabitants, the descendants of the original Caucasian stock who)
still form about seven-tenths of the population ; and, though He (
they show some of the physical characteristics of the invaders, irrop
they have retained in a great degree the strongly marked orbij
Q-f ^he original national character. ^Herodotus tion.
described the ancient Persians as brave, lively, spirited, capable is fui
of sharp sayings and repartees, but vain, weak, impulsive and Duns
hopelessly servile towards their lords. We are also told that brou[
in those days the Persian youth was brought up to ride, to thin!
speak the truth and to draw the bow. The late Lord Curzon, solut
in the best general account that has been written of the country, guid(
speaks of the Persian character as presenting many complex Ge
features, elsewhere rarely united in the same individual, and divic
he says that the Persians present a marked racial difference to owm
the inhabitants of neighbouring countries. It is probably for men
these reasons that opinions regarding their character have and
varied and that many Europeans who have lived in the country entf
find it rather difficult to explain why they like its people. arti
All authorities admit their wit, quickness of mind, pleasant orig
manners, agreeable address, amusing conversation, hospitality,* witi
dignity and ready assimilation of new ideas. But most r dem
people who have had dealings with them have come to the also
conclusion that they lack many of the qualities which are ever]
elsewhere held most honourable ; and there appears to be there
little doubt that, generally speaking, they are vain, unpractical Th
and lacking in energy and stability of purpose, while it is quite latioi
unsafe to rely on their words and actions. As Lord Curzon than
says, the one gift with which they can be credited on a truly latio:
heroic scale is their faculty for imaginative utterance. It buth
must be remembered, however, that in few oriental countries wate
have the standards of integrity and morality kept pace with Ur®
those of western civilisation, and that the corrupt and despotic large
form of government and landlordism to which Persians have Kerr
been long subjected explains the almost universal habit of latioi
prevarication, whose use in self-defence is, moreover, not had i
confined to Persia. Many modern Persians are what we should vfljag
term cowards, as they have adopted a line of philosophy which or S v
— —- The
* The Persian, of whatever rank in life, shines most as a host. He is ideal i
in this respect, as he delights in dispensing hospitality, and it is this trait ,
in the Persian character, combined with a strong sense of humour, which ffll (
has usually most attracted visitors to the country. mJJioj
( 27782 )
WKKtf

About this item

Content

A confidential publication compiled, by arrangement with the Government of India, under the direction of the Historical Section of The Committee of Imperial Defence, by Brigadier-General FJ Moberly. The volume is part of the Official History of the Great War series produced by the British Government.

The volume begins with a preface by Moberly and is then divided into 11 (I-XI) chapters, plus appendices, as follows:

  • Chapter I: Introductory
  • Chapter II: August 1914 to June 1915, Enemy efforts to bring Persia into the War
  • Chapter III: July to November 1915, Enemy action and Persian weakness necessitate Allied intervention
  • Chapter IV: December 1915 to May 1916, Successful results of Allied operations
  • Chapter V: May to December 1916, Turkish invasion of Western Persia and British measures in South and East Persia
  • Chapter VI: December 1916 to August 1917, Effects of British success in Mesopotamia
  • Chapter VII: September 1917 to April 1918, The failure of Persia to maintain her neutrality necessitates further British intervention
  • Chapter VIII: May to July 1918, The effect in Persia of the German successes in France; and the anti-British outbreak in Fars
  • Chapter IX: July to September 1918, The tide turns in favour of the Allies
  • Chapter X: October to 11th November 1918, The effect of our victories
  • Chapter XI: Conclusion

The volume contains fourteen maps, some of which are in a pocket in the inside back cover, as follows:

  • 1. Operations at Bushire 1915 (folio 275)
  • 2. Portion of Perso-Afghan frontier (folio 276)
  • 3. Operations at Dilbar, 13th-15th August 1915 (folio 66)
  • 4. Operations of General Dyer in Sarhad, April-August 1916 (folio 277)
  • 5. Wanderings of German parties in Persia and Afghanistan (folio 278)
  • 6. Affair of Dasht-i-Arjan, 25th September 1916 (folio 128)
  • 7. Affair of Kafta, 5th July 1917 (folio 144)
  • 8. Northern Fars (folio 177)
  • 9. Action of Deh Shaikh, 25th May 1918 (folio 182)
  • 10. Shiraz (folio 194)
  • 11. Operations from Bushire, September 1918-January 1919 (folio 279)
  • 12. Plan of East Persia L. of C. (folio 231)
  • 13. Operations for relief of Firuzabad, October 1918 (folio 236)
  • 14. Persia (folio 280)

The volume also includes a bibliography (folio 14).

Extent and format
1 volume (279 folios)
Arrangement

At the front of the volume there is a contents page (ff 6-14), list of maps (f 14), and list of illustrations (f 14). At the back of the volume is a general index (ff 269-73). All refer to the volume's original pagination.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 281; 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.

Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'History of the Great War based on Official Documents: Operations in Persia 1914-1919' [‎19v] (43/566), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/28, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100050147652.0x00002c> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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