Imagine walking into a room where everyone already has an opinion about you, before you’ve even spoken. That’s how the East was treated for centuries, defined not by its own voice, but by narratives imposed upon it.
The ‘Orient’, a term historically used for regions from North Africa and the Middle East to South and East Asia, was never just about geography. It became a lens that filtered how the East was seen, often reducing it to an exotic, unchanging world detached from reality.
The West and the East weren’t just locations on a map; they became ideas shaped by power, perception, and history. And the West wasn’t merely observing the East, it was constructing it.
Who Gets to Tell the Story?
Arthur James Balfour, a British statesman, once justified the British occupation of Egypt by claiming that the West simply “knew” the East better than it knew itself. But what does it mean to “know” a place, and who decides what is valid knowledge?
Orientalism, the framework through which the West has historically portrayed the East, was more than just a way of seeing; it was a way of asserting control. It reduced diverse cultures to simplified stereotypes, often painting that the East is in need of Western intervention. At its core, Orientalism is based on the idea that to know something is to have power over it.
“Whoever controls the story controls the legacy of a civilization.”
The Myth of the ‘Timeless’ East
A recurring theme in Orientalist thought was the idea that the East was frozen in time. Western nations saw themselves as constantly evolving, moving forward in science, governance, and industry. But the East? It was often described as unchanged, trapped in the past, its glory days long gone.
This wasn’t just an innocent misconception. It gave the West a moral excuse to govern, “modernize,” and “develop” these societies, often at the cost of their independence and identity.
The irony? Many of the so-called “advancements” brought by colonial rule actually stifled local progress. Indigenous systems of governance were dismantled, economic structures were reshaped to serve imperial interests, and cultural expressions were either appropriated or suppressed.
The Justification and the Myth
European powers didn’t just conquer land; they justified their dominance with ideas. Colonial rule wasn’t presented as oppression, it was framed as a civilizing mission. The British in India, the French in Algeria, and many others saw themselves as bringing order to societies they deemed chaotic or incapable of self-governance.
Balfour himself argued that Western superiority was not just military or economic, it was intellectual and moral. He claimed that Eastern societies had always lived under despotism and had never developed democratic institutions. Therefore, colonial rule wasn’t just beneficial; it was necessary.
Orientalism in Science and Academia
Beyond literature and politics, Orientalism also shaped academic disciplines. Scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries studied the East not as equals, but as subjects. Anthropology, linguistics, and even history were influenced by the idea that the East was an object of study, rather than a civilization with its own evolving knowledge.
Many “discoveries” of Eastern cultures were framed as Western achievements. The decoding of Egyptian hieroglyphs, the translation of Sanskrit texts, and the study of Arabic literature were often celebrated as triumphs of European scholarship rather than acknowledgments of deep, self-sustaining civilizations.
“The past was not lost; it was merely waiting for the West to ‘rediscover’ it.”
Influencing the Perception
Orientalism wasn’t just about politics; it was deeply rooted in culture. Literature, art, and media played a massive role in shaping how the East was perceived.
European writers, from Shakespeare to Byron, painted images of Eastern lands filled with mystery and danger. The “Oriental tale,” a genre of literature, reinforced the idea that the East was a place of irrational rulers, magical landscapes, and unpredictable emotions.
Even today, echoes of these narratives persist. The East is often depicted in films and books as a land of either spiritual wisdom or political turmoil, rarely as a place of ordinary, modern life.
“A civilization is not mysterious. It is only unfamiliar to those who have not listened.”
Resistance and Rewriting History
For centuries, the East was spoken about rather than listened to. But in recent decades, that has changed. Scholars, writers, and artists from previously colonized nations have challenged old assumptions and reclaimed their histories.
Figures like Edward Said, who critically examined Orientalism, have exposed how knowledge has been used as a tool of power. Historians and researchers have rewritten accounts of colonial rule, highlighting local resistance and achievements that were previously ignored.
The world is no longer as divided as it once was. Globalization, digital media, and cross-cultural exchanges have blurred the lines between East and West. People now have the tools to tell their own stories, to present their own perspectives, and to question the narratives of the past.
Final Thoughts
The lesson here isn’t about blame—it’s about awareness. The way we understand cultures, histories, and people is often shaped by stories told long before us. But the beauty of stories is that they can change.
Orientalism reminds us that knowledge is never neutral. It is shaped by who tells the story, and for what purpose. The challenge today is to look beyond inherited narratives, to listen more carefully, and to approach history not as a fixed script, but as an evolving conversation.
“The past is not just what happened—it is also how we choose to remember it.”
