Hungarian Orientalism and the Zichy Expeditions

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Hungarian Orientalism and the Zichy Expeditions Hungarian Orientalism and the Zichy expeditions By András Maracskó Submitted to Central European University Department of History In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Supervisor: Professor Nadia Al-Bagdadi Second Reader: Professor László Kontler CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary 2014 “Copyright in the text of this thesis rests with the Author. Copies by any process, either in full or part, may be made only in accordance with the instructions given by the Author and lodged in the Central European Library. Details may be obtained from the librarian. This page must form a part of any such copies made. Further copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the written permission of the Author.” CEU eTD Collection 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter I. Introduction to Hungarian Orientalism .................................................................... 5 Introduction to Thesis .................................................................................................................................... 5 1. Orientalism debate ...................................................................................................................................... 7 2. Romanticism and Hungarian Orientalism .......................................................................................... 9 3. Linguistics .................................................................................................................................................... 15 4. Archeology ................................................................................................................................................... 19 5. Ethnography ................................................................................................................................................ 21 6. The Finnish connection ........................................................................................................................... 23 7. State of the art ............................................................................................................................................ 24 Chapter II. A “Who’s Who” of the expeditions and the intellectual preparations ........ 26 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 26 2. Zichy the mastermind and his fellow world traveler Béla Széchenyi .................................... 28 3. Companions for the expedition of 1895 ............................................................................................ 32 4. Companions for the expedition of 1897-99 ..................................................................................... 37 5. Influences on Zichy: a short biography of Orientalist travelers before Zichy ..................... 42 6. Inspirations: textual sources, theories, ideas that influenced Zichy during the first expedition ......................................................................................................................................................... 45 7. Inspirations: textual sources, theories, ideas that influenced Zichy during the third expedition ......................................................................................................................................................... 50 8. Finances ........................................................................................................................................................ 52 9. Space, routes and modes of transport ............................................................................................... 53 10. Map of the route of the third expedition ........................................................................................ 55 Chapter III. The First Zichy expedition of 1895 ........................................................................ 56 1. The travelers and their goals ................................................................................................................ 57 2. The journey to the ancient homeland ................................................................................................ 59 3. The Caucasus............................................................................................................................................... 62 4. The towns of Magyari ............................................................................................................................... 64 5. Social issues in the Caucasus ................................................................................................................. 65 6. In the Southern Caucasus ....................................................................................................................... 71 7. In Central Asia ............................................................................................................................................ 72 8. Return trip ................................................................................................................................................... 75 Chapter IV. The third expedition: Béla Pósta and the beginnings of Hungarian comparative archeology ................................................................................................................... 78 1. Archeology and national romanticism .............................................................................................. 79 2. The diary of Béla Pósta ............................................................................................................................ 82 CEU eTD Collection 3. Mór Décsy the stanch critique of Zichy.............................................................................................. 86 4. Into the Caucasus....................................................................................................................................... 87 5. Conflict with Zichy .................................................................................................................................... 89 6. Pósta’s archeological report.................................................................................................................. 93 Chapter V. The third expedition: János Jankó and Hanti ethnology .................................. 99 1. Description of the diary ........................................................................................................................ 101 3 2. From Tiflis to the Hanti ......................................................................................................................... 102 3. Jankó’s personal reflections on Hungarian science .................................................................... 107 4. Jankó and the Hanti ................................................................................................................................ 109 5. Journey to the Hanti lands ................................................................................................................... 111 6. Ancient traditions and Gods ................................................................................................................ 113 7. Jankó’s method of data collection ..................................................................................................... 115 8. Scientific publication ............................................................................................................................. 119 9. Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................. 121 Chapter VI. Pápay and the Reguly collection .......................................................................... 123 1. Work in St. Petersburg and Helsinki ................................................................................................ 124 2. Trip to Obdorsk........................................................................................................................................ 126 3. Life in Obdorsk ......................................................................................................................................... 128 4. First trip to the Hanti ............................................................................................................................. 130 5. Hanti Pagan Festival ............................................................................................................................... 130 6. Trip to Poluj .............................................................................................................................................. 132 7. Solving the riddle with Kirikori ......................................................................................................... 133 8. The scientific publication ..................................................................................................................... 134 Chapter VII. Conclusions to the Thesis ..................................................................................... 136 1. Brief conclusion on the scientific publications ...........................................................................
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