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Esmaeil Alipoor
Abstract
European travelogues about Iran are invaluable sources for Iranian Studies, offering insights into aspects of Iranian culture often overlooked or ignored by Iranian historians. However, these works may include exaggerations, subjective opinions, inappropriate generalizations, and biased political perspectives. ...
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European travelogues about Iran are invaluable sources for Iranian Studies, offering insights into aspects of Iranian culture often overlooked or ignored by Iranian historians. However, these works may include exaggerations, subjective opinions, inappropriate generalizations, and biased political perspectives. This study critically examines the portrayal of Iranian culture in Beyond the Caspian Sea by Arthur Christensen, a Danish orientalist and mythologist. Using a descriptive analytical approach grounded in imagology, the article explores the travelogue’s depiction of Iranian culture. Imagology, a comparative literature method, investigates the representation of the “self” through the “other” or vice versa, aiming to understand the reasons and mechanisms behind such cultural reflections. As an interdisciplinary approach, imagology intersects with cultural studies. The central question is why certain manifestations of Iranian culture and literature, observed during Christensen’s journey at the end of the Qajar era, gain prominence in the travelogue. Findings reveal that Christensen’s perspective is Eurocentric, shaped by inductive reasoning, stereotypes, and political biases. By emphasizing negative aspects of specific individual and environmental elements, he attempts to generalize them to the entirety of Iranian culture. This study underscores the importance of critically analyzing travelogues to better understand embedded biases and cultural reflections. It highlights the need for caution when approaching such sources, considering the influence of the author’s background, motivations, and perspectives. Ultimately, while Beyond the Caspian Sea offers valuable insights into Iranian culture, its potential biases necessitate a critical approach
