Sense of Supremacy in Arminius Vambery’s Travels in Central Asia

Abstract

In the past, literary critics marginalized travelogues from their discussions and regarded them as a literary sub-category on the account of their want of literary merits. Nonetheless, in recent years thanks to the publication of Orientalism and Imperial Eyes by Edward Said and Mary Louise Pratt respectively, travel studies have gained literary prestige among the critics. Consequently, the travelogues have been subject to a vast array of critical approaches; nevertheless, the scholars of travel studies have paid less attention to the factors which give rise to Western travelers’ sense of superiority. In this regard, the current article will concentrate on Arminius Vambery’ Travels in Central Asia and it argues that Vambery exudes his sense of superiority in three ways: by representing Central Asians (Orientals) superstitious, viewing their food culture condescendingly, as well as by traveling in disguise for gathering information.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n5s2p183