Oriental Studies and Orientalists from Kasravi’s Point of View

From the early modern period and with the beginning of the political domination of the West in different parts of the world, including the East, the traditional interactions of East and West turned to new issues, and the need to know about new places was considered by Europeans for various reasons. From the seventeenth century onwards, there has been a close connection between Orientalism, as a profession and occupation, and the expansion of European trade, and eventually between imperialism and colonialism. With this approach, their view of other civilizations, especially the Orientals, changed with a sense of superiority and the need to dominate them. Eastern thinkers came up with different ways of dealing with the West. Although the critique of Orientalism began methodically after World War II, the grounds for this critique date back to before World War I and the emergence of national movements in the East. The purpose of these movements was to challenge the political and cultural hegemony of the West. Kasravi’s thoughts were formed at such a time; he was the first researcher in Iran and the East to deal with the issue of Orientalism, although not in a methodical and coherent way. Kasravi’s method of struggle in both areas was somewhat different from the others. It was during this literary struggle that he realized the nature of the research of some Orientalists on the issue of colonialism. The present study seeks to determine what approach Kasravi took in relation to Orientalist studies. The findings of the research show that Kasravi criticized Oriental studies and Orientalists in two respects. First, pointed out the fundamental flaws in the achievements of the West in order to free Iranians of the feeling of shame. Second, he expounded on the relation between Orientalism and colonialism, claiming these scholars to be keeping the Iranians in the past to preserve the domination of the colonial governments.