“A Look at Bosnia” by Matija Mažuranić as a Historical Source

Abstract

“A Look at Bosnia” by Matija Mažuranić was published in Zagreb in 1842. Apart from its treatment as a literary text, it was read, and still is, as a reliable historical source giving insight into the situation in Bosnia of that time, and not infrequently as a “mirror”. That later approach induced the authors of this paper to question some of Mažuranić's observations and to try to determine the factors which operated in the process of shaping his impressions of Bosnian society. They argue that the analysis of his text as a historical source should take into account the subjective and objective limitations of the traveler's perspective, which certainly had an impact on his image of Bosnia. One should therefore consider his intended goals, the addressees to whom the text was directed, the notions which he brought with him, his youth and poor formal education, the limitations of his “informants”, i.e. the persons with whom he was in contact, as well as aggravating circumstances such as the hardship of travelling through Bosnia, the cold winter and finally his illness and exhaustion. The authors have also touched upon some of today's readings of that travelogue, which clearly demonstrate the resistance of some stereotypes of Ottoman Bosnia.