From European to American Orientalism

This article high lights the transition of Orientalist scholarship from European academia to American academia. During post- colonial era Orientalist scholarship was dominated by British and the Europeans. In the twentieth century the banner of this scholarship was transferred to Americans. European’s studied classical Islamic texts whereas American’s studied Islamic and Middle Eastern societies. Whatever the approach or origin Orientalist scholarship projected West as progressive and rational as compared to the East. Orientalist scholarship was short of objectivity and loaded with misrepresentations and continued to stereotype Arabs. The article also highlights the fundamental problems with the resultant academia. The key themes of nineteenth century European orientalist scholarship entered the twentieth century American Orientalist scholarship such as the interpretive framework which guided these studies and the bias against the East. In early twentieth century American Orientalist scholarship focused on the ancient Near East and showed less interest in Arabic and Islam but followed in the footsteps of their European predecessors in their approach. This article further draws attention towards the literature produced by leading European and American Orientaslists such as D’Herbalot, Goldziher, Schacht, Duncan Macdonald, Gibb, Coulson and Bernard Lewis.