Persian petroleum and the British Empire: from the D'Arcy concession to the First World War

Thesis

This thesis has used public and private archives, as well as newly discovered private papers, to provide new interpretations and new analytical insights regarding the early history of a British investment in Persia. This has given rise to broad questions regarding the interaction of economic and political power within the British empire and the interaction of foreign economic forces with domestic political forces in Persia. Within those overarching themes, the role of intermediation, the Anglo-Russian rivalry over Persia, British naval developments, differing legal cultures and Persian political developments have been examined in detail. Investigating the extent of official British intervention in the venture’s affairs and the effects of the Persian Constitutional Revolution, in particular, have advanced the current understanding of the company’s early history. In-depth archival research has thus allowed this thesis to demonstrate the shortcomings of the existing literature and provide the most complete account of the Persian oil venture’s early developments to date.

Authors: Davoudi, L

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-z51m9npd9
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Persia; Iran; Oil; Gentlemanly Capitalism; Middle East; British Empire
• Subjects: History