The Constructions of the East in Western Travel Narratives, 1200 CE to 1800 CE

Free Download Radhika Seshan, "The Constructions of the East in Western Travel Narratives, 1200 CE to 1800 CE"
English | ISBN: 1138367419 | 2019 | 106 pages | PDF | 1418 KB
This book investigates how the idea of the 'east' emerged in western travel narratives between the 13th and the 18th centuries. Sifting through critical travel narratives ― real and imagined ― it locates the changing geography as well as the perceptions surrounding India. The author presents how historical stereotypes interacted with a burgeoning demand for travelogues during this period and have fed into the way we think about Asia in general, and India in particular. From the mythical travels of Prester John to the enigmatic 'adventures' of Marco Polo, from the fraught voyages of Johannes Plano de Carpini to the missionary zeal of Friar Odoric of Pordenone and William of Rubruquis, this volume traces the history of the 'Orient' as it was understood by the west.