Persia And The Persian Question

George Nathaniel Curzon (1859-1925) was a British politician, traveler, and writer who served as viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905 and foreign secretary from 1919 to 1924. As a young man he traveled extensively and wrote several books that drew on his travels, including Russia in Central Asia (1889), Persia and the Persian Question (1892), and Problems of the Far East (1894). Persia and the Persian Question, presented here, is two-volume work, based on a six-month stay in Iran that Curzon began in late 1899 as a correspondent for the London newspaper, the Times. The author's intent, as he states in the preface, is to produce "the standard work in the English language" on the subject. After two introductory chapters, chapters 3-12 document Curzon's visits to and observations concerning different parts of the country, including the journey from Ashkabad (present-day Ashgabat, Turkmenistan) into Iran and stays in Kuchan, Meshed, Khorasan, Seistan, Tehran, and elsewhere. Volume one concludes with individual chapters devoted to the shah and the royal family; the government; institutions and reforms; the northwest and northwestern provinces; the army; and railroads. Volume two begins with another seven chapters (19-25) recounting journeys to different parts of the country, including Isfahan, Shiraz, Bushir (present-day Bushehr), and the eastern, southeastern, and southwestern provinces. The remaining chapters (26-30) deal with the navy; the Persian Gulf; revenue, resources and manufactures; commerce and trade; and British and Russian policy in Persia. For Curzon, the essence of "the Persian question" is the rivalry between the Russian and British empires for influence in Persia, which he discusses in detail in the final chapter. This chapter also deals with Persia's "two Asiatic neighbours," Afghanistan and the Ottoman Empire, both of which "held large tracts of territory that were once included within the Persian dominions." Curzon ends on a hopeful note regarding the future development of the country, but he cautions patience and warns that "colossal schemes for the swift regeneration of Persia ... will only end in fiasco." He also warns against a dominant role for foreign concessions: "Persian capital must be interested in the exploitation of Persian resources, for a monopoly of the finance by foreigners excites jealousy, and suggests the idea of usurpation." The book includes illustrations and maps.

A highly regarded achievement, this illustrated two-volume overview of Persian history, society, geography and politics first appeared in 1892.

This is the recording of a six month long journey to Persia as well as previous travels in neighbouring areas. The book also describes the communications maintained with the Persian authorities.

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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Persia And The Persian Question, Volume 2; Persia And The Persian Question; George Nathaniel Curzon Curzon Of Kedleston (Marquess) George Nathaniel Curzon Curzon (Marquis of), George Nathaniel Curzon Curzon of Kedleston (Marquess) Longmans, Green & co., 1892 History; Middle East; General; Eastern question (Central Asia); History / Middle East / General; Iran