Friedrich Rosen : Orientalist Scholarship and International Politics

The German lacuna in Edward Said's 'Orientalism' has produced varied studies of German cultural and academic Orientalisms. So far the domains of German politics and scholarship have not been conflated to probe the central power/knowledge nexus of Said's argument. Seeking to fill this gap, the diplomatic career and scholarly-literary productions of the centrally placed Friedrich Rosen serve as a focal point to investigate how politics influenced knowledge generated about the "Orient" and charts the roles knowledge played in political decision-making regarding extra-European regions. This is pursued through analyses of Germans in British imperialist contexts, cultures of lowly diplomatic encounters in Middle Eastern cities, Persian poetry in translation, prestigious Orientalist congresses in northern climes, leveraging knowledge in high-stakes diplomatic encounters, and the making of Germany's Islam policy up to the Great War. Politics drew on bodies of knowledge and could promote or hinder scholarship. Yet, scholars never systemically followed empire in its tracks but sought their own paths to cognition. On their own terms or influenced by "Oriental" savants they aligned with politics or challenged claims to conquest and rule. Contents List of Illustrations Introduction Chapter 1. Consul’s Son. From Jerusalem Childhood to Lonely Adolescence in Germany Chapter 2. Amanat’s Indar Sabha and the Beginnings of a Career. Hindustani Theatre in British Imperialism, Indian Nationalism and German Orientalistik Chapter 3. Sword of the Dragoman. Immersion in an Embattled Region Chapter 4. Knowledge in Political Negotiations. Three Diplomatic Encounters Chapter 5. The International Orientalist Congresses in Hamburg in 1902 and Copenhagen in 1908. Celebrations and Agendas of Politics and Scholarship Chapter 6. Omar Khayyam’s Ruba’iyat and Rumi’s Masnavi Interpreted. The Politics and Scholarship of Translating Persian Poetry Chapter 7. Karl May’s Jihad? Knowledge in German Orient Policy Chapter 8. Fall of the Eagle. Reformulations Conclusion Bibliography Acknowledgements Index