This thesis examines Dutch knowledge and representations of early modern Barbary and its peoples, through analyses of ethnographic descriptions, newspapers and captivity narratives. On the basis of...Show moreThis thesis examines Dutch knowledge and representations of early modern Barbary and its peoples, through analyses of ethnographic descriptions, newspapers and captivity narratives. On the basis of the first two bodies of texts, it argues that detailed and specific information on Barbary was available to a relatively large audience. Captivity narratives, on the other hand, reveal that this information was not necessarily picked up by the Dutch public, as the words their authors used to designate North African polities and peoples were rather abstract, and more closely resembled stereotypes projected upon Barbary.Show less
