Oriental studies And Colonialism Essay, Research Paper

Edward Said describes Orientalism as the

ethnocentric manner Europe approaches the Asiatic districts. Europeans

looked upon the people of the Orient and Arabic provinces as & # 8220 ; fleeceable & # 8221 ; and

& # 8220 ; devoid of energy and initiative. & # 8221 ; The invasion of European states

proved a drastic diminution in the natural prosperity of every state they

encountered. Europe forced the devastation of these one time great lands

by three methods ; Anglo-based propaganda as a method of instruction, the

omission of history from the invaded land, every bit good as, the assimilation

of their civilization.

European propagandists played an of import

function with the conquest of foreign lands. Domestic support fostered

in the European belief that they were bettering the lives of valueless,

shiftless idiots. There is no uncertainty that the West felt significantly

superior to the East. This theory non merely holds true to the Arabic

and Asiatic provinces, but besides for colonised states in South America and

Africa. Europe used their technological might and arrogant

attitude to work the Earth. However, to derive support of domestic

citizens, European Hagiographas were used to paint a image of a kin of people

life in darkness and nothingness. The bookmans of that twenty-four hours carefully

selected the promotion of their new conquerings by dissembling it with a sentiment

of charity and Christianity.

Small acknowledgment was given to the yesteryear

civilizations of these people. The program was rather simple.

They wanted to occupy the district, strip it of all its history and rebuild

its yesteryear in the mode the Europeans saw tantrum. This is a really wise

move in the tactics to beef up the West & # 8217 ; s cause. Not merely does

bust up the morale of the invaded state & # 8217 ; s dwellers, but it sends a loud

and clear message that the history is undistinguished and inferior to western

history. Deporting of local hoarded wealths, canceling historic

records and paperss and disfiguring historic constructions intended locals

to bury about the past magnificence and focal point of the supposed bright hereafter

of the West.

The 3rd method used by the Europeans

is the assimilation of civilization to the states they colonized. Eurocentric-based

preparation and instruction kids of the colonised provinces proved the mold

of indigens that were European in head and values nevertheless unchanged in the

exterior. By absorbing native civilization into their ain they gain

more control and authorization in that country. Autochthonal chil

dren larning

western ways of civilization and indigens who aid in the European development,

successfully gives the West control the land. In add-on,

one time a new civilization is introduced to one coevals, the possibility of

successful reinstatement of the past civilization is nill.

In my sentiment, the full devastation of

the bulk of the universe & # 8217 ; s states was caused by Western influence.

Before European intercession, ways of life were individualistic.

In fact, the 3rd universe as we know it would non hold been so if they were

merely left entirely. There are still kins of people in the universe

that live a absolutely natural and healthy life with their autochthonal ways.

Greed and competition for natural stuffs caused Europe to ramify out and

destruct the ways of life for 1000000s of people around the universe.

After decennaries from the terminal of colonisation, what has the 3rd universe received

for the West? For the Aborigines, they have received the affliction

of diabetes. For the Native American, there is an affliction of otherwise

unknown complaints and sexually familial diseases. For the Inuit,

they have been stripped of their land and are now the poorest population

in America today. For the African, they have received a ternary dainty

of captivity, broken households and the colza of their land & # 8217 ; s resources.

Oriental studies is rather perchance the most

inhumane theory the universe has of all time seen. By conveying devastation

in their aftermath and their morning, colonisation has brought famishment, unwellness

and poorness to infinite coevalss. We are now faced with states

that one time ruled the universe lying helpless until support comes from the industrialised

states. Alien and invaluable hoarded wealths of ancient civilisations

now lay in the libraries of rich western work forces. What would perchance

do work forces make this to 1000000s of work forces, adult females, and kids? Greed?

Power? I disagree with both, I believe the word is indifference.

This indifference comes from the acrimonious matrimony of societal Darwinism and

antique crust.

Any humanist would see that before the

West intervened, each single civilization conformed to their home ground, yesteryear

experiences, and past cognition. Even though they were non & # 8220 ; modernized & # 8221 ;

they still would hold survived on their ain merely as they had been for centuries.

However, a race of people could non be heartless plenty to acknowledge their

devastation with a clear witting and no compunction. They would non

their battalion bags and leave a abandoned halt state.