The French Encounter with India in the late Eighteenth Century: Anquetil-Duperron and Coeurdoux

In the course of the Eighteenth Century the relations between Europe and India evolved towards an increasing European interference in the internal affairs of the Indian potentates: this development brought about significant changes in the perception of the Indians by the Europeans. In particular, the end of the Eighteenth Century was a turning point in the interest of the cultured French elites for the Indian world: this period saw a movement from the universalism of Enlightenment authors and antiquaries towards the orientalism of specialist scholars. Fascination and curiosity towards the Indian customs and religions were revisited by the works of the two French pioneers of modern Oriental studies, the antiquary and adventurer Abraham-Hyacinthe Anquetil-Duperron (1731-1805) and the Jesuit Gaston-Laurent Coeurdoux (1691-1779).