Graduation Year
2025
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
History
Reader 1
Corey Tazzara
Reader 2
Andre Wakefield
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
@2025 Anabhra Singh
Abstract
This thesis examines the role of Portuguese doctor Garcia de Orta (1501–1568) and his Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs of India within the broader framework of the Scientific Revolution, emphasizing the interplay of imperialism, colonialism, and transnational knowledge exchanges in shaping knowledge production. Traditional narratives of the Scientific Revolution often focus on European advancements in physics and astronomy. However, recent scholarship highlights the contributions of non-European knowledge systems and the significant role of empire and trade networks in advancing scientific inquiry. Although Orta’s findings were not novel, the novelty of his text lay in its seamless integration of European, Islamic, and Indian sources, and its incorporation of cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches. Arguably, Orta's work was critical to the survival of the Portuguese in India — providing valuable information on India’s materia medica that was necessary for the empire’s economic and strategic interests. This study argues that Orta’s Colloquies represents a hybridization of European and indigenous knowledge, challenging Eurocentric conceptions of the Scientific Revolution. By highlighting Orta’s contributions, the thesis repositions Iberian science and indigenous knowledge systems within global scientific historiography and underscores the importance of investigating cross-cultural collaborations and colonial contexts in the establishment of modern science.
Recommended Citation
Singh, Anabhra, "Garcia de Orta and the Colloquies: The Role of Imperialism and Colonialism in Shaping Knowledge During the Scientific Revolution" (2025). Scripps Senior Theses. 2552.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/2552
