Henry Creswicke Rawlinson

Henry Creswicke Rawlinson
Henry Wyndham Phillips (1820-1868). Nota: en http://www.livius.org señalan a Tho · Public domain · source
Name	Henry Creswicke Rawlinson
Caption	Sir Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baronet
Birth date	11 April 1810
Birth place	Chadlington, Oxfordshire, England
Death date	5 March 1895
Death place	London, England
Nationality	British
Known for	Decipherment of cuneiform; Behistun Inscription
Occupation	East India Company officer, diplomat, politician, Assyriologist
Title	1st Baronet
Spouse	Louisa Caroline Harcourt Seymour

Henry Creswicke Rawlinson. Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson, 1st Baronet, was a pioneering British Assyriologist, army officer, and diplomat whose work was fundamental to the decipherment of cuneiform script and the recovery of Ancient Near Eastern history. His efforts, particularly at the Behistun Inscription, unlocked the languages of Ancient Babylon and Assyria, transforming them from mysterious ruins into a documented civilization. Rawlinson is thus considered a founding figure in the academic study of Mesopotamia.

Early life and military career

Henry Rawlinson was born in Chadlington, Oxfordshire, and entered the military service of the British East India Company in 1827. He was posted to India and later to Persia (modern Iran) as part of the Indian Army, where he developed a keen interest in local antiquities and languages. His proficiency in Persian led to his appointment as a political agent, a role that combined military and diplomatic duties. This position in Persia placed him in proximity to some of the world's most significant ancient monuments, setting the stage for his future scholarly achievements.

The Behistun Inscription

While stationed in Persia, Rawlinson became fascinated by the massive Behistun Inscription, a trilingual rock relief carved on a cliff face at Mount Behistun on the orders of Darius the Great. The inscription, like the Rosetta Stone, contained the same text in three different cuneiform scripts: Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian. Between 1835 and 1847, often at great personal risk, Rawlinson meticulously copied the Old Persian and Babylonian sections of the inscription. His copies and subsequent analysis provided the crucial raw material needed to crack the cuneiform code, a feat of immense importance for understanding the empires of Ancient Babylon and Achaemenid Persia.

Decipherment of cuneiform

Rawlinson’s work on the Behistun Inscription was central to the decipherment of cuneiform. Working independently but contemporaneously with other scholars like Edward Hincks, Rawlinson successfully deciphered the Old Persian syllabary. He then applied this knowledge to the more complex Babylonian version of the text, which was written in a Semitic language related to Hebrew. In 1851, he published his translation and analysis, which was verified by the Royal Asiatic Society. This breakthrough allowed for the reading of thousands of clay tablets from sites like Nineveh and Babylon, revealing the history, literature, and law of Mesopotamia, including the famous Code of Hammurabi.

Archaeological work in Mesopotamia

Following his decipherment work, Rawlinson took an active role in the archaeological exploration of Mesopotamia. As British Consul in Baghdad from 1843, he sponsored and directed excavations. He provided crucial support to Austen Henry Layard in his groundbreaking digs at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu) and Nineveh, which uncovered the palaces of Ashurnasirpal II and the great library of Ashurbanipal. Rawlinson himself conducted excavations at Borsippa and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. His position enabled the shipment of many important artifacts, including the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III, to the British Museum, forming the core of its Mesopotamian collection.

Contributions to Assyriology and Babylonian studies

Rawlinson’s contributions laid the institutional and intellectual foundations for Assyriology and Babylonian studies. He served as a trustee of the British Museum and was instrumental in the publication of the monumental Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia, a key resource for scholars. His decipherment allowed for the study of foundational texts such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and astronomical records. He also worked on Babylonian chronology, using king lists and chronicles to construct a historical framework for Ancient Babylon. His scholarship helped establish these studies as rigorous academic disciplines within the broader field of Oriental studies.

Diplomatic and political service

Parallel to his scholarly career, Rawlinson served the British Empire in high-ranking diplomatic and political roles. After his consulship in Baghdad, he served on the Persian boundary commission and was a political agent in Ottoman Arabia. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Reigate from 1858 to 1865. In 1859, he was appointed to the India Council, a key advisory body to the Secretary of State for India. His deep knowledge of the region informed British policy in the Middle East and India during a period of intense imperial competition, often referred to as the Great Game.

Later life and legacy

Rawlinson was knighted in 1856 and created a Baronet in 1891. He remained active in scholarly societies, including the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Asiatic Society, until his death in London in 1895. Henry Rawlinson’s legacy is profound. He is remembered as the "Father of Assyriology" for his pivotal role in deciphering cuneiform, which unlocked the history of Ancient Babylon and its neighbors. The Rawlinson Endowment at the University of Oxford continues to support research in Ancient Near Eastern studies. His work demonstrated how scholarly pursuit could illuminate the deep past, providing a stable, documented history for one of the world's oldest civilizations and reinforcing the importance of tradition and historical continuity in understanding national origins.