SIH launches Abdulaziz Al Musallam's "Cursetjee's Journey" book
The 68-page publication is part of the Institute's 2025 publications. It is the result of a field and cultural trip Al Musallam made to Mumbai, India, last June, searching its government archives for documents related to the Gulf. The trip, in collaboration with several academics, including researcher Dr Chhaya Goswami, explored the city's government archives for documents related to the Gulf.
A shocking text and a documentation project
The project began more than two decades ago, when Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam found the book "Land of the Date" in an office and was surprised by its shocking content. In the book, the author describes the Gulf residents in disparaging terms, including: "Most of them are Arabs and Persians... They are characterised by their coarse nature and hideous appearance... These passengers rarely wash, or do not wash at all."
He also described the workers as: "Similar to a group of vagabonds... Noisy, dirty, and hideous... The passengers liken them to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves." This harsh language prompted Al Musallam to delve deeper into the travelogue and analyse the cultural and social contexts that shaped this biased view of the people of the Gulf and the region.
A Cultural analysis of a colonial context
The book deals with Cursetjee's journey from Bombay to Basra between 1916 and 1917, at the height of World War I, when British influence was rising in the Gulf. The traveler provides an accurate description of the ports, people, customs, natural phenomena, and myths. However, reading the book critically reveals a biased perspective that reflects the condescending view that prevailed in British Orientalist discourse toward Arabs during that period.
A publication that represents an ongoing project
Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam emphasised that these publications are not just written papers, but rather an intellectual project that reflects the commitment of the Emirate of Sharjah and the UAE to preserving cultural heritage and passing it on to future generations." He added that this work represents the first part of an expanded project, to be published later in a second part. The project will address the traveler's notes during his visits to several other Arab countries and regions, including his observations on architecture, social life, markets, and local people, in an attempt to connect the textual image to the historical and cultural reality of that period.
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