Beschrijving

This volume presents a collection of nineteen essays that explore the evolution of orientalist scholarship, language studies and colonial academic networks at Leiden University between 1850 and 1940. The contributions examine how Leiden’s engagement with Hebrew, Sanskrit, Islamic law, Japanese studies and mission-oriented research reflected broader European intellectual, cultural and colonial frameworks. The book situates Leiden University as a hub of “oriental connections” — showing how its professors, collections and colonial ties shaped both the institution and the disciplines of Oriental studies. It is valuable for historians of higher education, colonialism, and the humanities, offering detailed case studies of scholars, curricula, institutional strategies and the intertwining of local and global dimensions of knowledge.