A Man of Many Empires: The European Imperial Interactions of Arminius Vambéry on his Return from Central Asia
A Man of Many Empires: The European Imperial Interactions of Arminius Vambéry on his Return from Central Asia

Summary/Abstract: The Hungarian‐born scholar and explorer, Arminius Vambéry (c.1832‐ 1913) was well‐known in nineteenth‐century Europe for his pioneering travels to Central Asia in the early 1860s, where he disguised himself as a dervish in order to visit places which were generally considered dangerous and off‐limits to Europeans. These remarkable exploits subsequently brought him celebrity, fame, and influence, as well as key connections that permitted him to succeed in society despite his impoverished social and economic background. Using Vambéry’s two autobiographies from 1883 and 1904, this study examines how Vambéry was initially received by the upper echelons of society on his return from his Central Asian travels by briefly presenting his self‐reflections on his experiences in Great Britain, France, and Austria. By contrasting his own perceptions of these encounters with three different imperial spaces, it aims to outline how Vambéry depicts his reception by European society, as well as how his initial interactions with European royalty are presented on the pages of his memoirs.

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