Author: Zhao Xinfang
Papermaking ranks first among the four major inventions in China and has made significant contributions to the process of world civilization. In the American bestseller "100 Celebrities Who Influenced the Course of Human History in the World", Cai Lun ranked seventh, second only to Confucius among Chinese celebrities. Talking about his story will help us understand the development of science and technology in ancient China.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > (1) Cai Lun papermaking is from the canonical history</h1>
Cai Lun's papermaking theory comes from the Book of the Later Han Dynasty written by Fan Ye of the Southern Dynasty Song Dynasty: "Since the ancient book Qi Duo was compiled with bamboo Jane, its use of silk paper is called zhi paper. Expensive and simple, it is not convenient for people, and Lun is a deliberate, using tree skin, hemp head and cloth and fishing nets as paper. In the first year of Yuan Xing, the emperor was good at his ability, and he could not use it. Therefore, the world is called 'CaiHou Paper'. ”
In modern terms, it is explained that in ancient China, things were recorded by tortoise shells, animal bones, bamboo janes, wooden stones, golden stones, and silk veils. In the past, most of the books were written using bamboo jane, and a small amount of "silk" was used. The silk used to write books is called paper. Bamboo is heavy and silk is expensive, which is not conducive to people's use. Cai Lun led the craftsmen to make paper from tree bark, hemp heads, torn clothes, and rotten fishing nets.
In the first year of the Yuan Dynasty (105 AD), Cai Lun presented this paper to emperors of Han and The Emperor. The Han and Emperor happily boasted of their abilities and began to use this paper from then on. People all over the world call this kind of paper "Cai Hou paper", and regard 105 AD as the first year of Cai Lun's invention of paper.
According to research, Fan Ye's "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" is mostly taken from the Eastern Han Dynasty official revision history book "Dongguan HanJi". In the version of the Eastern Han Dynasty, written between 58 and 75 AD, Cai Lun is not mentioned. It was added in 151 AD when Yan Du and others supplemented the "Biography of Cai Lun" at the behest of Emperor Huan of Han, at that time it was only thirty years after Cai Lun's death, so historians believe that the author Yan Du and others and Cai Lun are basically people of the same era, and the accounts can be believed.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > (2) Cai Lun is actually improving the papermaking process</h1>
The extant "Dongguan Hanji" is a compilation of the "Siku Quanshu", which was copied by hand before the invention of printing, because the age is unknown how many times it has been copied, and there are nuances in the historical narrative, one is that "Cai Lundian created the intention to use bark ... Papermaking", the second is "Cai Lundian papermaking above". "Pawn" means responsible or competent, and "creation" means invention and creation. The word "creating intention" is the difference between these two sentences, which causes "Cai Lun to invent papermaking" to become an unsolved case.
Let's leave the case hanging for the time being. No matter how it is said, "Cai Hou Paper" has gradually entered all aspects of society. In the first year of the Yuan Dynasty (114 AD), Cai Lun was responsible for supervising the revision of scriptures, and after the completion of the revision, a number of copies were copied and issued to various places, thus forming a climax of large-scale copying of Confucian classics on paper, gradually replacing bamboo books with paper books, becoming the most powerful tool for spreading culture.
Returning to the unsolved case, is paper invented by Cai Lun? Through modern archaeology, it can be concluded that paper was not invented by Cai Lun.
In the summer of 1933, archaeologist Huang Wenbi found a piece of Western Han paper in the ruins of the Han Dynasty in Lop Nur. "Hemp, white, square flakes, incomplete around," Mr. Huang said.
Is this really paper? Some papermaking experts said: The key is to look at its fibers, if it is animal fiber, it is silk fabric, if it is a plant fiber, it is paper. According to this standard, what Huang Lao experts found was paper, but unfortunately, when this paper was later exhibited in Wuhan as a cultural relic, it was blown up by Japanese planes, because it was in the period of the War of Resistance Against Japan.
In 1957, archaeologists found Baqiao paper in the Baqiao ancient tomb on the outskirts of Xi'an. According to expert arguments, the time of this ancient tomb is no later than the era of Emperor Wu of Han. From 1974 to 1975, the composition of Baqiao paper was hemp fiber, which proved to be paper.
Subsequently, Jinguan paper, Zhongyan paper, Maquanwan paper and other ancient Western Han Dynasty paper were unearthed.
Now it can be considered that China's papermaking technology began in the Western Han Dynasty and was improved and promoted in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Cai Lun was the core figure who promoted the development of papermaking in this historical stage, and was a technological innovator, organizer, advocate and promoter.
In addition to papermaking, Cai Lun also has a world-renowned achievement, that is, to improve the steel knife manufacturing process. He was a good learner and practice man, often personally went to the workshop to conduct technical investigations, summed up the rich experience accumulated by the craftsmen for many years, coupled with his own clever innovation, so that the smelting technology of that period was qualitatively improved, it is said that the sword casting process at that time was very superb, and could cast out what later generations called the "Shangfang Sword".
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > (3) Cai Lun died in a palace fight</h1>
Cai Lun (61-121), courtesy name Jingzhong, a native of Songyang ,present-day Songyang, Hunan), was born into a peasant family, grew up farming with his father, and was elected to the palace at about 15 years old, serving the young emperor (He Emperor). Because of his cleverness and likability, he was promoted from Xiao Huangmen all the way to the higher position of Huangmen Waiter.
According to the Book of later Han, Cai Lun soon became a confidant of Empress Dou of the harem dictatorship shortly after entering the palace. Empress Dou was childless and had always been worried about the instability of the throne, and after Song Guiren's son was made crown prince by Emperor Zhang of Han, Empress Dou was afraid that her successor would be replaced by Song Guiren, so she instructed Cai Lun to plan a case of "witch deception" and framed Song Guiren for "threatening evil and flattering the way" to curse the emperor. The case was presided over by Cai Lun. The Song guiren sisters were tortured and forced to confess. In his recital, Cai Lun suggested that the emperor sentence the Song noble sisters to death by hanging. The tortured Song sisters committed suicide by taking poison in prison.
With Cai Lun's vigorous assistance and cooperation, Empress Dou coerced Liang Guiren to "voluntarily" pass on her infant Liu Zhao as her son, and asked the emperor to make Liu Zhao the crown prince. After the death of Emperor Zhang of Han, Empress Dou's ten-year-old adopted son Liu Zhao succeeded to the throne as Emperor He of Han, with Empress Dowager Dou under the control of empress dowager. Cai Lun was promoted to Zhongchang Shi (中常侍) because of his merits, accompanied by the attendant and the emperor, participated in state secret affairs, ranked 2,000 stones, and had the same status as Jiuqing. It is said that in Chinese history, eunuchs interfered in state affairs, which began from this.
The wall has wind walls and ears, with the passage of time, who does not know the things mentioned earlier? After Emperor An of Han, the grandson of Song Guiren, succeeded to the throne, the blood debt that persecuted his mother-in-law always had to be put in the vat, and the mastermind Empress Dou was dead, so he began to liquidate Cai Lun's crimes. Cai Gonggong knew in his heart that this matter could not be confused, so he took poison and committed suicide.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > (iv) review</h1>
Ancient Chinese people always looked down on craftsmen, and they were also simple and light on science and technology. The history books introduce Cai Lun, the most inked is Gong Dou, and his main great achievement, that is, his contribution to the paper industry, is only a few dozen words.
There is a big discrepancy between the brief records in the history books and the understanding of the importance of papermaking by our descendants. There are also some extremists who think that Cai Lun is unscrupulous in palace fighting, is a person of bad character, and is worth mentioning, and also believes that he mainly makes paper to please those in power and seek benefits for himself.
The author has always insisted on a comprehensive historical analysis of historical figures, and it is an indisputable fact that Cai Lun will not hesitate to participate in the palace fight, but he has made significant contributions to improving the papermaking process and making great contributions to the process of world civilization, which cannot be ignored and erased.
【About the author】Zhao Xinfang, pen name Zhao Shi, is a member of the Chongqing Nan'an District Writers Association and vice president of the Huangjue Literary Society.
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