▁of ▁K erm ans h ah ▁in ▁western ▁Iran , ▁for ▁two ▁years . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Western er ▁to ▁trans cribe ▁the ▁Old ▁Pers ian ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁tr iling ual ▁ins cri ptions ▁in ▁Old ▁Pers ian , ▁El am ite ▁and ▁Bab yl onian ▁( a ▁later ▁form ▁of ▁A kk ad ian ) ▁written ▁by ▁D arius ▁the ▁Great ▁som etime ▁between ▁his ▁coron ation ▁as ▁king ▁of ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁Empire ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 5 2 2 ▁BC ▁and ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 4 8 6 ▁BC . ▁ ▁Political ▁career ▁Raw lin son ▁was ▁appointed ▁political ▁agent ▁at ▁K and ah ar ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 0 . ▁In ▁that ▁capacity ▁he ▁served ▁for ▁three ▁years , ▁his ▁political ▁lab ours ▁being ▁considered ▁as ▁mer itor ious ▁as ▁was ▁his ▁gall antry ▁during ▁various ▁engag ements ▁in ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁Afghan ▁War ; ▁for ▁these ▁he ▁was ▁reward ed ▁by ▁the ▁distinction ▁of ▁Comp an ion ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁Bath ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 4 . ▁ ▁Ser end ip it ously , ▁he ▁became ▁known ▁personally ▁to ▁the ▁governor - general , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁his ▁appointment ▁as ▁political ▁agent ▁in ▁Ott oman ▁Arab ia . ▁ ▁Thus ▁he ▁settled ▁in ▁Bag hd ad , ▁where ▁he ▁devoted ▁himself ▁to ▁c une iform ▁studies . ▁He ▁was ▁now ▁able , ▁with ▁considerable ▁difficulty ▁and ▁at ▁no ▁small ▁personal ▁risk , ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁complete ▁trans