Orientalism. Franois Bernier and Kaempfers Manuscripts Essay

Orientalism. Franois Bernier and Kaempfers Manuscripts - Essay ExampleThis was extensively practiced by the imperialist European scholars and it pave the way for an entirely new discipline of study called Orientalism.Orientalism is the study of near and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, and peoples by Western scholars. It also refers to the off-key or depiction of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West. When used in a neutrally descriptive sense, Orientalism describes a development in the history of ideas that was shaped by the attitudes of the time of European imperialism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. But, the term when it is interpreted antagonistically, it implies trivializing, dismissive and prejudiced interpretations by Westerners of Eastern cultures and peoples.Thehistoryandcultural influence of these Oriental books can be matte consistently. Writers who explored various facets of the countries cultures revealed only those in consistency with thei r culture and despised the other facets of the target countries culture. The travelers manuscripts were beneficial in a number of ways, for example the travelers records have paved the way to improve the trade relations between the east and the west. Also we learn ancient secrets from their books.From their rich experience the travelers provide a huge marrow of information which is useful at many times and confusing at times. Sometimes works by some intellectuals are merely baseless, thanks to their really little knowledge about other intimates and ethos of the country they describe and so they end up with some records which are just entirely misleading. Let us evaluate the various pros and cons of these travelerss account.Kaempfers manuscripts At Kaempfers death his mostly unpublished manuscripts were purchased by Sir Hans Sloane, and conveyed to England. Among them was a History of Japan, translated from the manuscript into English by J.G. Scheuchzer and published at London, in 2 Vols. in 1727. In this manuscript he gives a good account about Nipponese and their culture. In first hand, he describes the highways of Japan. Kaempfer has provided a single-valued function about ancient Japan paving way for various explorers in the later years. Kaempfer says An incredible number of people daily use the highways of Japans provinces, indeed, at current times of the year they are as crowded as the streets of a populous European city. He also gives a good account of Japanese Shrines and 33 important temples. Further, he gives a good account about the Japanese warlords richness and their might. Besides Japanese history, this book contains a comment of the political, companionable and physical state of the country in the 17th century. For upwards of a hundred years it remained the chief source of information for the general reader, and is still not wholly obsolete.But his description about the pilgrims as Beggars, clearly portrays authors ignorance about the Japa nese tradition. Pilgrimages to Ise have been popular for centuries and seven visits was said to ensure salvation. Even in the secular Japan of today, Ise holds a place equivalent to Mecca or Jerusalem for many Japanese. It is their holy duty to walk to the shrine barefooted. They renounce their earthly riches before starting on the pilgrim and depend on the alms for their living in their travel.Further, his categorizing of Beggars as Kannons, silent, common and his description about the prostitutes clearly depicts his imperialistic goals. He tries his high hat to establish the superiority of the West over the East. In this contest he even criticizes the work of moderate Oriental writer like Francois Caron.Further, his ridiculous description