Napoleon’s 1798 Egypt invasion made scholarly knowledge central to colonization

Evidence

In 1795, the School of Living Oriental Languages was established in Paris. When Napoleon invaded Egypt a few years later, he was able to take with him Orientalists whose knowledge could be put to use for colonial purposes. Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798 stands out as the first instance when knowledge about the native people became central to a colonizing mission. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 105

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Kumar’s broader argument that the empire of domestic fear rests on epistemological projects; parallels Grosfoguel and Rana on knowledge production in colonial/imperial formations. — connects to: Napoleon’s expedition deliberately taught Egyptians imperial ambition; Napoleon’s geographers aimed to instill an active imperial sense in Egyptians; Napoleon’s 1798 invasion of Egypt began serious European conquest of Muslim lands — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 172 (+8 more)

Broader Connections

• Napoleon inaugurated the systematic use of scholarship for empire #corroborates (0.90) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 106