The “troubles” with Islam in today’s Europe concerning legal and social issues are accompanied by stereotypical visions of the Islamic world. Stereotypes and prejudices play of course a certain role in every representation or vision of the Other. In regard to Islam they are, however, of a particularly long and rich history. Already after one century from its emergence Islam was seen as a danger to Christianity. John of Damascus granted already in 8th century a complete, though totally ignorant view of the Muslim civilization. Muhammad was depicted by him as an Antichrist and he declared Islam to be a conspiracy against Christianity. The medieval reception of Islam is shown very accurately in the famous Divina Comedia by Dante, where the reader finds Mohammed placed nowhere else but in hell: “(…) see how Mahomet is mangled! Before he goes Ali in tears, his face cleft from chin to forelock; and all the others thou seest here were in life sowers of scandal and schism and therefore are thus cloven”. Untrue and unfair depictions of Islam in Europe are found in Catholic theology by Thomas Aquinas, who is still regarded by the Church as its most prominent philosopher.
Ignorance about Islam may seem understandable as far as fear of religious challenge is concerned, since many critics of Islam felt it was their duty to defend the truth about God. Many of them depicted the Muslim culture in a completely wrong way because of the very fact that they had never been in real contact with that culture. More detailed investigations about what was behind the teachings would, however, needed to be based on direct encounter. Accounts on Islam based on personal experience would have been then at least more objective and neutral – but the opposite is the case. In the so-called travel literature depictions of Islam are full of bias, fears and unjust insinuations. The purpose of travel writing in early modern Europe was not to represent Islam as it was, but to prove the distinction between the good and evil, whereas Christianity was meant to be the good and Islam the evil.
Representations or rather misrepresentations of Islam in English literature of the Early Modern Period in general and in travel accounts written in that time in particular are the subject of this paper. A general characteristic of travel writing on Islam is given, two selected accounts – by William Biddulph and William Lithgow – are discussed in a more detailed way.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction: Islam As Eternal Threat To Europe
II. The Notion of Orientalism
II.I. The Meaning of the ‘Turks’
II.II. The Meaning of the ‘Orient’
III. Representations of Islam in English literature
III.I. Literary Forms of Criticism of Islam
III.II. Christian Aspects of Writing on Islam
IV. Travel Literature on Islam
IV.I. ‘The Imperial Envy’
IV.II. William Biddulph: ‘The travels of certaine Englishmen…’
IV.III. William Lithgow: ‘The totall discourse, of the rare aduentures…’
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper explores the biased and often antagonistic representations of Islam within English travel literature and broader literary works during the Early Modern Period (1560-1640). It examines how European writers constructed a demonized image of the "Other" to fortify Christian identity and justify political as well as economic interests.
- The construction of "Orientalism" as a framework for Western power and prejudice.
- The influence of religious conflict and intertextuality on depictions of Islam.
- Analysis of specific travel accounts by William Biddulph and William Lithgow.
- The role of "Imperial Envy" in shaping English attitudes toward the Ottoman Empire.
- The shift from religious fervor to political and economic motivations in English travel writing.
Excerpt from the Book
IV.I. ‘The Imperial Envy’
False representations of Islam in the Early Modern Period reflected to a large extent real anxieties against Islamic might and power. Gerald MacLean has proposed a very accurate term to describe that fear of political dominance – “the imperial envy”. This notion is presented by MacLean as an opposition to the coined term of radical otherness, which might be useful in regard to Western imperialism, but it is not a suitable description of the pre-colonial period. The advantage of the term “the imperial envy” consists in an involvement of “identification as well as differentiation, of sameness as well as otherness, of desire and attraction as well as revulsion”. Many victorious Ottoman invasions in the 15th and 16th centuries were subject of suppressed admiration for the English as well as Spanish nation, which were just beginning to integrate and to envelop their own national identities.
The feeling of envy was motivated to a large extent by commercial power of the Ottoman Empire. The very fact that the sultan ruled over three continents with his forceful army was a proof of enormous power. If one reads Henry Blount’s account from 1636, according to which “[t]he Turks are the only moderne people, great in action, and whose Empire hath so suddenly invaded the world”, it is difficult to imagine that the Ottomans could not be object of envy.
Vitkus writes, “the early modern demonization of Islam tends to focus upon the overwhelming, absolute power of Islamic culture”. The power of that culture was seen as a threat, but it was in some sense a source of admiration as well. Partly in relation to that superior position of Muslim countries the European identity of hegemony has developed. During the 15th and 16th century the thrive for greater reputation in the world became one of the most important policies of European countries.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: Islam As Eternal Threat To Europe: Provides an overview of how historical prejudices and stereotypes against Islam have persisted in Europe as a means of defining Christian identity.
II. The Notion of Orientalism: Examines Edward W. Said’s theory of Orientalism to explain how Western discourse systematically mischaracterized the East to establish intellectual and political dominance.
II.I. The Meaning of the ‘Turks’: Analyzes the reductionist use of the term "Turks" to label Muslims, effectively stripping them of their religious identity and reducing them to a "barbaric" ethnicity.
II.II. The Meaning of the ‘Orient’: Explores the "Orient" as a mental construct and a geographical "elsewhere" used by the West to create a mirror image of its own culture.
III. Representations of Islam in English literature: Discusses how negative visions of Islam were embedded in mainstream English literature, while acknowledging rare, more tolerant perspectives.
III.I. Literary Forms of Criticism of Islam: Details how theological debate and romance literature were used to refute Islamic doctrines and portray Muhammad in a pejorative light.
III.II. Christian Aspects of Writing on Islam: Explains how internal Christian divisions, specifically between Protestant and Catholic views, influenced attitudes toward the Ottoman Empire.
IV. Travel Literature on Islam: Investigates the genre of travel writing and why these accounts were frequently unreliable due to the authors' predetermined biases.
IV.I. ‘The Imperial Envy’: Explains how the admiration for Ottoman power paradoxically fueled the demonization of Islamic culture in English accounts.
IV.II. William Biddulph: ‘The travels of certaine Englishmen…’: Reviews the account of William Biddulph, highlighting his role as an Islamophobic chaplain who used his writing to praise English moral superiority.
IV.III. William Lithgow: ‘The totall discourse, of the rare aduentures…’: Examines William Lithgow’s travelogue, noting his focus on the perceived "national character" of the Turks and their harsh legal punishments.
Keywords
Orientalism, Islam, Early Modern England, Travel Literature, Ottoman Empire, Identity, Representation, Cultural Bias, Imperial Envy, William Biddulph, William Lithgow, Christianity, Otherness, Discourse, Religious Conflict
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this publication?
This work examines how Islam was represented in English literature and travel accounts during the period from 1560 to 1640, focusing on the biases and political motivations underlying these descriptions.
What are the central themes explored?
Key themes include the construction of the "Orient" versus the "Occident," the role of religious and political identity in shaping perceptions, and how economic interests influenced English attitudes toward the Ottoman Empire.
What is the central research objective?
The objective is to reveal how early modern writers used their accounts of the Islamic world to build a self-image of English superiority and to defend their own religious and cultural traditions.
Which academic methodology is employed?
The author utilizes literary analysis and historical discourse analysis, drawing heavily upon Edward W. Said’s concept of Orientalism to evaluate primary source travelogues.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body critiques the notion of Orientalism, analyzes historical literary depictions of Islam, and provides a comparative analysis of travelogues by William Biddulph and William Lithgow.
Which key terms characterize this work?
Central terms include Orientalism, Imperial Envy, religious prejudice, intertextuality, and the construction of the "Other" within the English colonial/imperial consciousness.
How did "Imperial Envy" influence English authors?
The author argues that English travelers felt a sense of "imperial envy" toward the success and power of the Ottoman Empire, which caused them to simultaneously admire the civilization while demonizing its religion to maintain national superiority.
How does the author view the reliability of these travel accounts?
The author considers the accounts of Biddulph and Lithgow to be notoriously unreliable and often intentionally biased, reflecting more about the authors' own preconceptions than the reality of the cultures they visited.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Adam Galamaga (Autor:in), 2010, Representations of Islam in Travel Literature in Early Modern England, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/172217
