Barthold (1860-1930) was a great historian of the Muslim East and a remarkable personality. In the obituary notice of the London Times (26th August, 1930) he was called "the Gibbon of Turkestan". This epithet stresses the importance of Barthold's researches on the vast area extending from the Caspian to Mongolia and China, but, even outside it, and apart from it, there are many branches of Islamic history on which he has left his impress. H e wrote a 'Historical Geography of Iran', a History of Oriental Studies in Western Europe and in Russia', a study of the two pillars of the Islamic state =The Caliph and the Sultan', and several books on Islam and Islamic culture, to say nothing of a host of important articles on varied subjects of Islamic culture, history and geography 1, biographical notices 2 and reviews of new books, some of which are veritable gems of acumen and learning3. The list of Barthold's works contains over four hundred items, and it can be confidently said that none of his writings has lost its utility and interest, in the light of later research.