Ethnography and encounter : Dutch and English approaches to cross-cultural contact in seventeenth-century South Asia
This thesis explores the intersections between Dutch and English East India Company (VOC and EIC) enterprise and early modern ethnography. Scholarship concerning both Companies has focused principally on the socio-economic side of Euro-Asian exchanges. In doing so, existing literature has failed to address the importance of ethnographic assumptions in shaping the worldviews of overseas agents. This study suggests a novel way of writing the cultural histories of these commercial-cum-political bodies from a comparative, transnational, and interdisciplinary perspective. It analyses VOC and EIC archives for what they reveals about perceptions of Others, categories of human difference, and approaches to cross-cultural interaction. Each of the three case studies examines a different aspect of Dutch and English involvement in cross-cultural contact in seventeenth-century South Asia â commercial dealings in Gujarat, diplomatic interactions at the Mughal court, and colonial encounters in Ceylon and Madras, respectively. A survey of the principal concepts and categories which structured early modern European ethnographic analyses precedes these discussions. Cultural assumptions about Asian peoples shaped Dutch and
Van Meersbergen, G. A. M.
Ethnography and encounter : Dutch and English approaches to cross-cultural contact in seventeenth-century South Asia. This thesis explores the intersections between Dutch and English East India Company (VOC and EIC) enterprise and early modern ethnography. Scholarship concerning both Companies has focused principally on the socio-economic side of Euro-Asian exchanges. In doing so, existing literature has failed to address the importance of ethnographic assumptions in shaping the worldviews of overseas agents. This study suggests a novel way of writing the cultural histories of these commercial-cum-political bodies from a comparative, transnational, and interdisciplinary perspective. It analyses VOC and EIC archives for what they reveals about perceptions of Others, categories of human difference, and approaches to cross-cultural interaction. Each of the three case studies examines a different aspect of Dutch and English involvement in cross-cultural contact in seventeenth-century South Asia â commercial dealings in Gujarat, diplomatic interactions at the Mughal court, and colonial encounters in Ceylon and Madras, respectively. A survey of the principal concepts and categories which structured early modern European ethnographic analyses precedes these discussions. Cultural assumptions about Asian peoples shaped Dutch and
ethnography encounter dutch_english approach cross_cultural contact seventeenth_century south_asia explore intersection dutch_english east india company enterprise early_modern ethnography scholarship concern companies focus principally socio_economic side euro asian exchange exist_literature fail_address importance ethnographic assumption shape worldviews overseas agent study suggest novel_way write cultural_history commercial cum political body comparative transnational interdisciplinary perspective analysis archive reveals perception others category human difference approach cross_cultural interaction three_case_study examine different_aspect dutch_english involvement cross_cultural contact seventeenth_century south_asia commercial dealing diplomatic interaction court colonial encounter respectively survey principal concept category structure early_modern european ethnographic analysis precedes discussion cultural assumption asian people shape dutch