Map to illustrate Major Rawlinson's route from Zohab to Khuzistan

Sketch map of the border region between Iran and Iraq marking the route of Sir Henry Rawlinson, an Orientalist who is generally considered to be the father of modern Assyrian studies.



Rawlinson was sent to Persia in 1827 to assist with the training of the Shah of Iran's troops. After this mission collapsed due to tensions between the British government and the Shah, Rawlinson remained in Iran, traveling to many ancient sites. By transcribing and studying trilingual inscriptions in Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian dating to around 500BC, Rawlinson became the first European to decipher the cuneiform script.



Later in life he became a key political figure in the Great Game between Britain and Russia as one of the most strident voices against Russian expansion.



Original hand-colour. [MEAST3780]