RAWLINSON, Sin He Creswicke., English diplomatist and Orientalist: b. Chad lington, Oxfordshire, 4 Nov. 1810; d. London, 5 March 1895. He went to Bombay in 1827 as a military cadet in the service of, the East India Company, at once applied himself assidu ously to the study of the Oriental languages and was soon in request as an interpreter, After five years' service with the First Bombay Grenadiers, he was employed in military work in Persia (1833-39). When the rupture with Persia compelled the withdrawal of Brit ish officers from that country he proceeded to Afghanistan and in June 1840 was appointed political agent at Kandahar. Throughout the troubles that ensued •he held the southern capi tal of the Afghans safe from all intrigues with in and attacks without. In 1843 he was ap pointed political agent in Turkish Arabia. His stay in Persia had made him acquainted with the cuneiform inscriptions at Behistun and on being appointed in 1844 consul at Badgad, he set himself to copy and dechiper the chief in scription. The result was his great paper on 'The Persian Cuneiform Inscription .at Behis tun,' printed in the Journal of the Royal Asia. tic Society in 1846. Though not without im portant predecessors in the same field, Rawlin son is justly regarded as the chief foaader of the study of Persian cuneiform and the first successful decipherer of cuneiform writings.
Having shown great zeal and ability in the dis charge of political duties, he was raised in 18.51 to the rank of consul-general. Resigning in 1855, he returned to England and in 1856 was created K.C.B., promoted lieutenant-colonel and appointed a crown director of the East India Company. In 1858 he was elected to the House of Commons for Reigate as a conserva tive and again sat there in 1865-68 as a member for Frome. In 1859-60 he was minister-pleni potentiary at Teheran, in 1889 became a G.C.B., and two years later was created a baronet. Rawlinson received many honors both at home and from foreign countries. He was president of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1878-81 and of the Royal Geographical Society in 1871-72 and 1874-75. His chief published works are