Mohmmad Reza Gholizadeh

In the wake of extensive efforts by textual critics, codicologists, and manuscript scholars to introduce and publish lesser-known works and sources, valuable materials relating to the Persian Gulf and the southern regions of Iran have gradually emerged from archival oblivion. The publication, critical review, and analysis of these texts have created abundant opportunities for advancing historical studies and for understanding the perspectives that past policymakers held regarding the Persian Gulf. Such endeavours can also temper—and in some cases replace—the excessive and sometimes misleading reliance on documents and reports produced by foreign state agents. Accordingly, this study undertakes the introduction and analysis of two report-style works penned during the era of Mohammad Shah Qajar (1250–1264 AH / 1834–1848 AD): one by Naderi Kazerooni and the other by an anonymous author. It situates these writings within the broader context of the Qajar government’s tense relations with Britain—especially during the “Herat Crisis”—thereby linking the court’s strategic focus on the Persian Gulf to its diplomatic struggles. The research aims to examine the historical circumstances that led to the creation of these two accounts, uncover the motives behind Mohammad Shah’s pursuit of up-to-date, clear information about the Persian Gulf and southern Iran, and trace the emergence of early Persian Gulf studies in the form of field-based reports. Employing structural and content analysis within a comparative hermeneutic framework, the study demonstrates how these indigenous narratives contributed to the shaping of strategic awareness at the Qajar court.