Napoleon’s 1798 invasion made scholarly knowledge central to colonial conquest

Evidence

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. Edward Said has argued that Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798 stands out as the first instance when knowledge about the native people became central to the colonizing mission. It was a crucial moment in the emergence of Orientalism. While the occupation itself lasted barely three years and was something of a disaster, it provided an ideological model for future colonial conquests. Napoleon’s invasion inaugurated the systematic use of scholarly knowledge to serve the needs of empire, both abroad and at home. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 164

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Napoleon’s 1798 invasion inaugurated the systematic use of scholarly knowledge to serve empire; Napoleon’s failed Egyptian invasion modeled scholarly exploitation for later empires; Knowledge about the colonized became central to conquest only with Napoleon’s 1798 invasion (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Napoleon’s 1798 Egypt invasion made scholarly knowledge central to colonization #corroborates (1.00) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 105
• Napoleon’s 1798 invasion of Egypt inaugurated knowledge-production as an imperial instrument #corroborates (1.00)
• Napoleon inaugurated the systematic use of scholarship for empire #corroborates (1.00) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 106
• Colonialism fused military conquest, scholarly knowledge production, and a justifying ideology #expands (0.80)
• Napoleon turned Enlightenment philosophy of civilization into a concrete colonial program #expands (0.80) — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 74
• Napoleon institutionalized Orientalist consultation as standing colonial policy #expands (0.75) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 158
• Napoleon institutionalized Orientalists and co-opted religious leaders into colonial administration #expands (0.75)