Interwar decolonization struggles made the Orient a challenge to Western spirit and imperium

Evidence

In the period between the wars, as we can easily judge from, say, Malraux’s novels, the relations between East and West assumed a currency that was both widespread and anxious. The signs of Oriental claims for political independence were everywhere; certainly in the dismembered Ottoman Empire they were encouraged by the Allies and, as is perfectly evident in the whole Arab Revolt and its aftermath, quickly became problematic. The Orient now appeared to constitute a challenge, not just to the West in general, but to the West’s spirit, knowledge, and imperium. — Edward W. Said, Orientalism, 633

Categorization

• XREF: Sets historical context for why Orientalist discourse intensifies — the political crisis forcing reconsideration of knowledge, linking to the scaffold on empire and representation.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Edward W. Said, Orientalism, 633