In which of the following English works do we see the first indication of an ‘Orientalist’ attitude ?

The correct answer is - The account of Sir Thomas Roe

Key Points

• The account of Sir Thomas Roe
  • Sir Thomas Roe was an English diplomat who visited the Mughal court of Emperor Jahangir between 1615 and 1619 as the ambassador of King James I of England.
  • In his writings, Sir Thomas Roe displayed an emerging Orientalist attitude, which involved a mix of fascination with and condescension toward Eastern cultures.
  • This account is considered one of the earliest documents to demonstrate the European tendency to view Eastern societies through a lens of exoticism and cultural superiority.
  • The writings reflect the beginning of systematic Western observations about the East, which later evolved into the academic discipline of Orientalism.

Additional Information

• Orientalism
  • The term Orientalism was popularized by Edward Said in his 1978 book of the same name, where he critiqued the Western portrayal of Eastern societies as inferior, exotic, and static.
  • The concept refers to the way Western scholars, writers, and colonial powers constructed an image of the East that served their own political and cultural agendas.
  • In early modern English literature, works such as Sir Thomas Roe’s account were among the first to reflect this emerging worldview.
• Other options explained
  • The Records of Fort St. George, 1672: These records primarily document administrative details of the British East India Company, with no clear emphasis on Orientalist attitudes.
  • The Diary of William Hedges: William Hedges, an East India Company administrator, documented his experiences in India, but these writings lack the systematic cultural observations seen in Sir Thomas Roe's account.
  • The account of Ralph Fitch: Ralph Fitch was an English merchant and traveler whose accounts focus on trade and travel rather than Orientalist perspectives.
• Significance of Sir Thomas Roe’s account
  • His detailed observations about Mughal court rituals, diplomacy, and culture are valuable for historians studying early modern Indo-European interactions.
  • The account laid the foundation for future British engagement with India, both diplomatically and intellectually.