Lorimer

The Gazetteer of The Persian Gulf is more commonly known and quoted by historians and academics alike simply as "Lorimer's," and yet very little is known about its author or The Gazetteer's genesis. John Gordon Lorimer is one of the few early 20th century British officials whose life has not been the subject of a biography despite his considerable role in recording the history of the Gulf and setting out its future. A skilled linguist and an experienced expeditionary political officer in the North West Frontier Province, Lorimer soon caught the eye of the viceroy, Lord Curzon and was placed on special duty in the Gulf to produce "a book of reference in which the history of every political question or relationship affecting this region can be traced from the beginning."

What was initially expected to be a six month tasking became a decade-long punishing quest for knowledge, collecting, collating and cross-referencing every conceivable piece of information on Central Arabia. Lorimer's gazetteer is synonymous with the Gulf and widely accepted as being without equal as a primary source of information. Commissioned in 1903 and partly published in 1908, it was not until 1915 when the full extent of Lorimer's encyclopedia of the political, social and economic history of the Gulf was finally accessible to a very small clique of political agents, military planners and diplomats serving in the British and Indian Governments.

Classified as secret and with little over a hundred and fifty Gazetteers ever printed and in circulation, both volumes and Hunter's accompanying map were kept under lock and key when not in use given the sensitivity of their contents. The Gazetteer was a powerful tool that allowed the British to control the narrative of the history of the region, which was for the most part, unknown or disjointed. In parts biased, critical and subjective, The Gazetteer remained classified until 1953 and even when it was finally made accessible, it remained subject to tight controls until it was finally republished in 1970. When the Gulf countries were on the verge of statehood, The Gazetteer was a key document of reference when agreeing their borders and nearly a hundred years after its initial publication, remained both unique and central to resolving remaining border disputes.