After
the invention of writing, people searched for a way to preserve their writings for
a longer time. Previously, before papermaking technology was invented, the
Chinese carved their characters on tortoise shells, animal bones, bamboo
slices, wooden plates and thin tough silk. This carving technique on bones and
shells was popularly known as Jiaguwen. However, tortoise shells, animal bones
and wooden plates were too heavy, took a lot of space and was hard to carry and
on the other hand, silk was too expensive. So, the Chinese searched for a more convenient
method for preserving their writings.
In
the early years of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC to 25 AD), paper made with
hemp and ramie was invented. But the paper turned out to be course and not
suitable for writing. These type of paper was first unearthed in Han Tomb in
Ganshu Province, making it the earliest type of paper found till date.
In
the Eastern Han dynasty (25 AD to 220 AD), a eunuch of the Imperial Court named
Cai Lun invented a new type of paper after a lot of experimentation. He used bamboo
fibers and the inner bark of mulberry trees and pound them into pulp with a
wooden tool after adding a lot of water. After that, he poured the whole
mixture on a flat woven cloth to drain out the water. When the mixture is
dried, the residue left was found to be quite light in weight with a smooth
surface. At that time, Cai Lun realized that, he had invented new and improved
paper. In 105 AD, Cai Lun presented his invention to He Di, the emperor at that
time and thus, the moment is recorded in Chinese history as the invention of
paper. Gradually, paper was also made with bamboo, straw and sugarcane
residues.
The
technology was later introduced to Korea and Japan in the late Sui (581 AD to
618 AD) and early Tang (618-907) Dynasties. Around 610 AD, a Korean monk, took
his papermaking skills to Japan. During the Tang Dynasty War, the Arabs
captured some papermaking workers and brought them to the Arab nations, thus
spreading the technology there. At the same time, the Indians learnt the art of
papermaking through the Chinese monks who travelled there in search of the
Buddhist sutras. In this way, the process of papermaking was spread throughout
the globe.
The
quality of the paper depended on various factors, such as the materials used
and the technique applied. One paper, for example, the Xuan paper is a very
high quality paper. It was originally produced in the Tang Dynasty in Jing
County, which was under the Xuan prefecture (Xuanzhou of Anhui). Hence, the
paper got the name Xuan paper.
Xuan
paper has nice smooth surface with a clean texture and offers great resistance
to crease, moth, corrosion and mold. Due to its smooth surface and texture, it
was exclusively used in Chinese calligraphy and painting. And since it can be
easily preserved, it was especially used to write down important events.
Since
its invention, paper has been playing a vital role in the preservation and
propagation of information. Not only that, education and communication has also
become a simpler task. All in all, papermaking has an epoch-making significance
on the promotion of global civilization.
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