Location
University Women's Club, London
Curzon’s Chosen Men: Political Officers on the Periphery of Empire
Speaker: Alan Dillon
In the early 20th century, political resident John Gordon Lorimer ICS and political agent Captain William Shakespear of the Indian Foreign Department played prominent roles on behalf of the British and Indian Governments. As ‘warrior scholars’, both used their diplomatic, linguistic, intelligence and exploration skills in the Arabian Peninsula and Persia to enhance Britain’s understanding of the periphery of Empire, leaving geopolitical legacies that continue to resonate long after their careers were tragically cut short.
Alan Dillon is a serving diplomat who spent twelve years in the Royal Marines before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2000. He has served in Afghanistan, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and Oman, interspersed by spells in Whitehall, mostly covering the Gulf and South Asia regions. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the author of Captain Shakespear: Desert Exploration, Arabian Intrigue and the Rise of Ibn Sa’ud (2019) and Lorimer: His Gazetteer and Britain’s Pursuit of Knowledge (2024).
This lecture is presented by The British in India Historical Society in association with the Indian Civil Service Society. For more information and to book tickets, please visit: https://www.britishinindia.org.uk/live-lectures-2025