How Paper Became Global Because of an Eighth-Century Conflict

Ican’t imagine a world without printed books. I still write notes in a diary with a pen. Paper was inseparable from reading and writing when I grew up. Maybe most of you can relate to this. Though I’ve embraced technology, paper remains a vital part of my life. Books transformed the way information spread. But they were costly in ancient times. The invention of paper changed that. Paper wasn’t always readily available. Its production was closely guarded in China. A battle in Central Asia in the eighth century unlocked the secrets of papermaking, making knowledge accessible to millions worldwide. The conflict was between the Tang Dynasty of China and the Abbasid Caliphate, based in Iraq. In 751, they clashed near the Talas River, on the present-day Kazakhstan-Kyrgystan border. I’m sure you’re curious to know why. But before we dive into the battle, let’s briefly discuss how paper was invented. <a href="https://medium.com/teatime-history/how-paper-became-global-because-of-an-eighth-century-conflict-332b0fad9161">Read More</a>