![Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎599v] (1213/1814)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00033b/Mss Eur F111_33_1227.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Annotated Copy of <em>Persia and the Persian Question</em> by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎599v] (1213/1814)")
Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [599v] (1213/1814)
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.
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DISCOVERIES IN PERSIA.
News ibas just beeaa Taceived of some very
intetreislbinig disco veries wMclh have been made
in the mountains of Western Persia. Two
French 'engineers travelling in the Bakhtiyari
mountains visited the pass of Mai Amir-—
about 60 miles east of Susa. The paps, which
gives access to the lowlands of Susiama and
the plain watered by the upper waters of the
Karun and Dizful, also gives access to a fer
tile tableland eiijclosed by hills. The region
has long been known as of urchseologieal im
portance, foa* in the walls of the pass ns a
sacred cave, beside which are the rock sculp
tures of iscme Elamite or Anssanian kings,
iacoompaniied by long inscoriptions in cunei-
foirm character. TShefse texts belong to Ela
mite kings ruling in the eighth century before
our era. The pass was visited by Sir Henry
Rawtiinison La,yard and Baron de Bode, who
have described these sculptureis. These tra
vellers all mentioned a large mound which
stands in the fertile plain, and which, from
the mass of broken pottery and brickwork,
was evidently the site of an ancient city, but
owing to the lawless character of the hill
tribes it was impossible to make any excava
tions. The French travellers, however,
stayed at Mai Amir for some time and made
an examination of the site. They found ex
tensive remains of buildingis similar to those
found by De Morgan at Susa, the bricks bear
ing inscriptions in the Elamite character.
There were also found several large blocks of
stone inscribed with a very archaic style of
writing. It is to be hoped that an attempt
will be made to explore this important site
systematically, for from this region we may
expect the solution of many difficult problems
Regarding the beginnings of civilisation over
Western Asia.
Another important find throwing light upon
Persian history is the discovery at Babylon by
the German explorers of a portion of a black
dolerit© column inscribed with the Babylonian
version of the Behistun inscription of Darius
Arystaspes and containing the text of the Ar
menian revolts, and also that of Bardiya—the
pseudo Smeirdis. This column was probably
the standard text on which the great rock
inscription was based.
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 [599v] (1213/1814), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/33, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100157213848.0x00000e> [accessed 9 June 2026]
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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
- 599r:599v
- Author
- Unknown
- Usage terms
- Public Domain