Who Invented Paper, and Why Did they Keep it a Secret for Years?

If you had a valuable secret, would you share it with others – or keep it to yourself? That’s the same question China faced many centuries ago when their leader invented paper, which was a highly coveted and precious item.

Today, you might not consider paper “precious” with Americans using an average of 675 pounds of paper annually. But in 105 A.D., it was the secret that everyone wanted.

The Hidden Origin of Paper

Paper was invented in 105 A.D. Records show that the Eastern Han Emperor Ts’ai Lun developed paper by harvesting bark and fibers from a mulberry tree, and pounding those materials into a sheet. Later the quality was improved by adding hemp and old fishing nets to the pulp before the pounding process.

Paper was used for writing within a few years, with the Chinese developing the first printed newspaper. But the country knew they had something special, and guarded the secret closely.

Why so Valuable?

Paper allowed China to develop their civilization faster. Other countries wanted to learn how to make paper, after viewing China’s new invention. But China refused, and continued to guard their valuable secret carefully. However, this all changed in 751 A.D.

The country’s army was defeated, and Chinese soldiers and paper makers were captured. The result? The Arabs were the new owner of powerful secrets of making paper. In fact, the Europeans didn’t learn how to make paper until several centuries later.

Today’s paper is a lot different than the old paper style. Centuries ago it was thick and bulky, and now it’s thin and produced by smaller fibers. But it continues to be a valuable item in our civilization, and is still used daily by most people across the world.

If you were the only person in the world who knew how to make paper, would you keep it a secret? 
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