Russian Orientalism grew directly out of imperial state-building
Evidence
If Oriental studies stagnated in most of Europe, in Russia they were barely beginning and, if one wishes to make close connections between Orientalism and imperialism, then it is surely to Russia that one should first turn. The origins of Russian Orientalism are most curious–indeed they begin with the cabinet of curiosities assembled by Peter the Great (1672–1725). — Robert Irwin, For Lust of Knowing, 229
Categorization
- XREF: Connects to Said’s argument that Orientalism and empire are intertwined — Russia is the cleanest case.
Related
- Russia founded Oriental language schools to govern conquered Muslims (similarity 0.81)
- Orientalism metamorphosed from scholarly discourse into an imperial institution (similarity 0.81)
- Orientalist scholarship cannot be detached from its imperial context (similarity 0.80)
- Orientalist scholarship functioned as working equipment for imperial rule. (similarity 0.80)
- Orientalism expanded from scholarly practice to signify imperialist ideology (similarity 0.80)
- Sustained national imperial interest was required for Orientalist scholarship to thrive (similarity 0.80)
- German Orientalists led the field despite Germany having no Arab empire. (similarity 0.80)
- Orientalism was a project of power and culture, not merely an academic enterprise (similarity 0.79)
- Orientalism operates as both an academic discipline and a repository of cultural images (similarity 0.79)
- The concept of Oriental despotism was devised to justify European empire (similarity 0.79)
- Imperial control depended on constantly refined knowledge of the Orient. (similarity 0.79)
- Knowledge-producing disciplines were mobilized in service of imperialist worldviews (similarity 0.79)
- Orientalist ideas can circulate without imperial power structures (similarity 0.79)
- The Orient was made Oriental through power and domination, not imagination alone (similarity 0.78)
- Reducing orientalism to mere imperial domination makes the research category superfluous (similarity 0.78)