Cai Lun
Cai Lun was a court official and eunuch in the Eastern Han Dynasty, recognized for his significant contribution to the invention of paper around 105 CE. Prior to his innovation, writing materials such as wooden boards and bamboo strips were cumbersome and not accessible to the general populace due to their bulkiness and the high cost of materials like silk and cotton. Cai Lun's process for creating paper involved using readily available raw materials, such as old fishing nets, raw bark, twigs, leaves, and discarded clothing, which he transformed into a fibrous pulp that he dried on bamboo racks. This method produced a lightweight and inexpensive writing material, which quickly gained popularity, ultimately replacing earlier writing surfaces in China and facilitating the spread of literacy. His invention had a profound impact on communication and record-keeping, influencing cultures beyond China as paper spread throughout Asia and the rest of the world. Despite his achievements, Cai Lun's later life was marked by palace intrigue, leading to a tragic end when he took his own life. Today, he is often regarded as a patron saint of paper-making, highlighting the enduring legacy of his work.
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Subject Terms
Cai Lun
Related civilizations: Eastern Han Dynasty, China
Major role/position: Court official
Life
Cai Lun (TSAHI lewn), a eunuch, worked as a court official in the Eastern Han Dynasty. After he invented paper, he was promoted by Emperor Han Hedi and became rich. Later he got involved in palace intrigue and ended his life drinking poison.
Before Cai Lun’s invention, people wrote on wooden boards or bamboo strips. Books were bamboo strips bound together with pieces of string and were very cumbersome and bulky. Silk and cotton were also used for writing, but they were too expensive for the common people. Inspired by the process of making silk, Cai Lun created paper in the following way: First, he collected the raw material, which included old fishing nets, raw bark, twigs, leaves, and old clothes. He mixed these materials together, heated them over a fire, and mashed them to a fibrous pulp. He spread the mashed pulp over thin bamboo racks to dry. When the pulp dried, it became paper. Cai Lun presented his invention to Emperor Han Hedi in about 105 c.e. The emperor rewarded him.
Influence
Paper, the writing material that Cai Lun invented, was inexpensive and simple to make. It soon replaced wooden boards and bamboo strips and spread throughout China and eventually spread throughout Asia and the rest of the world.
Bibliography
Chung, Shih-tsu. Ancient China’s Scientists. Hong Kong: Commercial Press, 1984.
Hart, Michael. The One Hundred: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History. Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Publishing Group, 1992.