Abstract
This paper juxtaposes an early sixteenth-century source, “The Narratives of Joseph the Indian,” and decolonial discourse in post-Independence India. The Narratives is a record of interviews that the priest, historically known as Joseph the Indian, conducted with Europeans circa 1502. Joseph belonged to the Eastern rite of Indian Christians, identified as Thomas Christians, highlighting their religious heritage tracing back to the apostle Thomas. In the 20th and 21st centuries, Decolonialism targets, among other things, Christianity and views Christians as products of colonization that should either be removed or “returned” to Hinduism. The argument posits that the Narratives serves as a colonial textual reminder, asserting that Christianity in India has pre-colonial roots. This perspective disrupts anti-Christian Decolonialism and exposes the colonial and postcolonial civilizing mission as a strategy to conceal economic goals. The argument unfolds by first examining the “Indian” aspect of Joseph and its relevance to contemporary challenges against the patriotism of Indian Christians. Subsequently, it examines the commercial concerns of colonizers, Joseph’s involvement in that discourse, the Narratives’ role in establishing the trade interests of colonialism, and how re-reading the Narratives sheds light on similar goals of decolonial ventures. Lastly, the paper considers the importance of the Narratives in the decolonization of Early Modern Studies. The Narratives form part of Pedro Alvares Cabral’s travelogue but remains an understudied primary source. The methodology is defined by Michel Foucault’s theory of discourse, providing the necessary framework for the study.
Presenters
Clara A.B. JosephProfessor, English and Religious Studies, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Traveling Concepts: The Transfer and Translation of Ideas in the Humanities
KEYWORDS
Decolonization, Indian Christians, Travelogue, Early Modern Studies, Postcolonial Studies
