Rereading the Black Legend : The Discourses of Religious and Racial Difference in the Renaissance Empires

The phrase “The Black Legend” was coined in 1912 by a Spanish journalist in protest of the characterization of Spain by other Europeans as a backward country defined by ignorance, superstition, and religious fanaticism, whose history could never recover from the black mark of its violent conquest of the Americas. Challenging this stereotype, __Rereading the Black Legend__ contextualizes Spain’s uniquely tarnished reputation by exposing the colonial efforts of other nations whose interests were served by propagating the “Black Legend.” A distinguished group of contributors here examine early modern imperialisms including the Ottomans in Eastern Europe, the Portuguese in East India, and the cases of Mughal India and China, to historicize the charge of unique Spanish brutality in encounters with indigenous peoples during the Age of Exploration. The geographic reach and linguistic breadth of this ambitious collection will make it a valuable resource for any discussion of race, national identity, and religious belief in the European Renaissance. The Phrase 'the Black Legend' Was Coined In Protest Of The Characterization Of Spain By Other Europeans As Backward Ignorant, Superstitious And Fanatically Religious. This Book Challenges This By Contextualizing Spain's Tarnished Reputation Exposing How Other Nations Benefitted From Propagating This Image. An Imperial Caste: Inverted Racialization In The Architecture Of Ottoman Sovereignty / Leslie Peirce -- Hierarchies Of Age And Gender In The Mughal Construction Of Domesticity And Empire / Ruby Lal -- Race And The Middle Ages: The Case Of Spain And Its Jews / David Nirenberg -- The Spanish Race / Barbara Fuchs -- The Black Legend And Global Conspiracies: Spain, The Inquisition, And The Emerging Modern World / Irene Silverblatt -- Of Books, Popes, And Huacas; Or, The Dilemmas Of Being Christian / Gonzalo Lamana -- The View Of The Empire From The Altepetl: Nahua Historical And Global Imagination / Silvermoon, Michael Ennis -- Race And Class In The Spanish Colonies Of America: A Dynamic Social Perception / Yolanda Fabiola Orquera -- Unfixing Race / Kathryn Burns -- Discipline And Love: Linschoten And The Estado Da India / Carmen Nocentelli -- Rereading Theodore De Bry's Black Legend / Patricia Gravatt -- West Of Eden: American Gold, Spanish Greed, And The Discourses Of English Imperialism / Edmund Valentine Campos -- Blackening The Turk In Roger Ascham's A Report Of Germany (1553) / Linda Bradley Salamon -- Nations Into Persons / Jeffrey Knapp -- Afterword: What Does The Black Legend Have To Do With Race? / Walter D. Mignolo. Edited By Margaret R. Greer, Walter D. Mignolo, And Maureen Quilligan. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 399-446) And Index.

the Phrase “the Black Legend” Was Coined In 1912 By A Spanish Journalist In Protest Of The Characterization Of Spain By Other Europeans As A Backward Country Defined By Ignorance, Superstition, And Religious Fanaticism, Whose History Could Never Recover From The Black Mark Of Its Violent Conquest Of The Americas. Challenging This Stereotype, rereading The Black Legend Contextualizes Spain’s Uniquely Tarnished Reputation By Exposing The Colonial Efforts Of Other Nations Whose Interests Were Served By Propagating The “black Legend.”

a Distinguished Group Of Contributors Here Examine Early Modern Imperialisms Including The Ottomans In Eastern Europe, The Portuguese In East India, And The Cases Of Mughal India And China, To Historicize The Charge Of Unique Spanish Brutality In Encounters With Indigenous Peoples During The Age Of Exploration. The Geographic Reach And Linguistic Breadth Of This Ambitious Collection Will Make It A Valuable Resource For Any Discussion Of Race, National Identity, And Religious Belief In The European Renaissance.

international History Review

the Book Is Particularly Strong On Its Superbly Documented Study Of The Appropriation Of Racial And Religious Categories In The New World. As Such, This Courageous And Most Worthy Scholarly Volume Makes Signal Contributions To Our Understanding Of The Links Between Race, Religion, And Imperial Projects Within The Painful Transition Into The Early Modern World.-trofilo F. Ruiz, International History Review

— Trofilo F. Ruiz