Montagu as a Commentator on Religion in The Turkish Embassy Letters Jennifer Davies College

The subject of religion is prominent throughout many of Montagu’s Turkish Embassy Letters, having experienced many aspects of Muslim and Christian cultures whilst traveling the globe with her diplomat husband, Edward, the British Ambassador in 1717 (Cruicshanks). During this time, Montagu wrote to her peers, describing her experiences with new cultures and her attitudes towards their customs, and became “the first English woman to write about her travels in Ottoman lands” (Heffernan). Although she was predisposed to British Christianity, Montagu’s letters are generally appreciative of the cultural customs she experiences, often focusing on and being pleasantly surprised by the treatment of Muslim women, embracing Turkish customs as her new normality. Although she appears appreciative of Turkish culture, dressing appropriately and embracing her time in the harems, her high social ranking requires the consideration that she was only seeing what she was permitted to, and perhaps did not quite get the full and true experience of eighteenth-century Turkish culture. Montagu holds a strong position to comment on eighteenth century Turkish culture, being very open minded and accepting of cultural differences in comparison to her male...