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Rawlinson (SIR HENRY CRES- WICKE)

SIR HENRY CRES- WICKE, an English Orientalist and diplomatist; born in Chadlington, England, April 11, 1810; entered the East Indian Company's army in 1827. In 1833 he went to Persia to assist in organizing the Persian army. During the six years he spent there he began to study the cuneiform inscriptions, and made a translation of Darius' famous Behistun inscription, which he published in the "Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society." After he left Persia he held command of Kandahar during the troublous times of 1840-1842 (see AFGHANISTAN); was appointed political agent at Bagdad in 1844, and consul-general there in 1851. Five years later he returned home to England, was made K. C. B., and appointed by the crown director of the East India Company. In 1858 he went back to Persia as British minister, but remained at Teheran only one year. Appointed a member of the Council of India in 1868, he was nominated its vice-president in 1876. Other public positions he heldthe presidency of the Royal Geographical Society (1871) a trusteeship of the British Museum (1879) a directorship ); a directorship of the Royal Asiatic Society. He was made a baronet in 1891. He wrote: "A Commentary on the Cuneiform Inscriptions of Babylon and Assyria" (1850); "Outline of the History of Assyria" (1852) ; "The Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia"; "England and Russia in the East" (2d ed. 1875) etc. He died in London, March 5, 1895.