For centuries, the Chinese considered all the neighbors living next to them barbarians. They seemed to have shielded themselves from the outside world and practically did not come into contact with people from outside. For a long time of isolation, Chinese writers and poets were able to create an original culture, inventors and scientists also did not lag behind them.
The degree of development of China in the ancient era
In those days when the era of antiquity reigned in the world, the Chinese already used gunpowder and wrote on paper. The story of the paper is quite long and quite interesting. At first, the Chinese used tortoise shells to write hieroglyphs. They have survived to this day and date back to the 2nd millennium BC. Then they switched to scrolls of silk, thin strips of bamboo and clay tablets for writing.
At the beginning of the 2nd century AD, during the reign of the Chinese Han Dynasty, a dignitary of low rank invented paper. According to the tradition of that era, paper was made from silk. Tsai Lun went the same way, though he added wood ash and hemp to it. Such a material possessed considerable strength due to its drying in the sun and smoothing with stones. For this invention, Cai Lun received a high position from the emperor and occupied a significant position in Chinese society.
If we consider in more detail the paper technology invented by Lun, we can note that he decided to lay out small particles of silk on the grid, which were then intertwined and moistened with a large amount of water. Prior to this, the silk fibers were triturated and broken with hammers, adding quite a bit of water. This made the final material fragile and dense enough for writing. The ink on such paper was quickly erased, and the books themselves and chronicles turned into dust. This principle underlies paper production today.
Another merit of Tsai Lun is that he came up with a way to create paper from different fibers. After the introduction of this principle, the amount of unspent residue has become less. In addition, Cai Lun paper was not only better, but also cheaper to manufacture, which was important both now and in those days.
Paper inventor
The very personality of this great inventor is quite interesting. Cai Lun was born in the fiftieth year of our era. Nothing is known for certain about his childhood. This person is mentioned only in 65 AD: as a fifteen-year-old youth, Cai Lun began to serve in the imperial palace. For his industriousness, diligence and responsibility, he went up the career ladder with every emperor he served, and there were as many as five of them. All the rulers noticed the outstanding talent of this man, and rumor spread about him as a unique specialist. As they matured, Tsai Lun was entrusted with the post of chief of the imperial arsenal. It was there that he first showed his inventive enthusiasm by inventing several new types of weapons and improving the quality of existing ones.
Paper outside of China
But the story of the paper does not end there. The process of optimizing production went on continuously. Especially zealously, the Chinese made sure that their secret did not fall into the hands of any other state. But still, in the middle of the VII century, the secret of paper production became known outside of China. They began to use it in Japan and India. Then in the IX century, Chinese paper fell into the hands of the Arabs, and then migrated to Europe.
Process improvement
In European countries, paper technology has undergone significant changes. Holland became a trendsetter in this regard because of its high production capacity and a significant degree of economic development. In the XVII century, the Dutch were able to improve all stages of the process, thanks to the introduction of various technical innovations. Although initially back in the 12th century, paper production began in France and Italy.
Paper in Russia
At the beginning of the 17th century, papermaking technology reached Russia. In the 30s of the XVII century, the first paper mill was laid. Already at the time of Peter the Great, several more mills and large manufactories were founded in the districts of Moscow and St. Petersburg. For a long time, the Russian Empire could not provide itself with quality paper, it was necessary to purchase it from Holland. However, with the industrial reforms of Peter I, our country was able to establish paper production.
The invention of Tsai Lun allowed mankind to reach a new level of development. Paper, which can remain intact for many years, has significantly helped the development of literature and history. Many things about China, life and habits of the people of that time would not have been known to us without this invention. The paper also conveyed to subsequent generations the ideas of great Chinese thinkers such as Lao Tzu, Confucius, Chuang Tzu and others. Without it, all the works of these wise men could be lost in the maelstroms of war or under the influence of time.