Practical Paper

Night watchman: Welcome to another night at the wax museum– Or Hall of wonder–step sound–and  what do we have here. It looks like the wax figure of a Chinese person, and the identifying plaque says that his name is TI Lon

Mr. Bartley: pardon me for coming to life, but that name is tsigh loon–think of sigh& the bird loon–SIGH LOON

Night watchmen: And pardon me, but I am not familiar with you or any of your accomplishments. Were you an emperor or Chinese ruler?

Mr. Bartley: no, in fact I was made to drink poison because of political intrigue, so I guess you could say that ultimately, I was definitely not successful in the world of ancient Chinese politics.

Transcript

This podcast blends history and imagination. Real historical figures appear alongside fictional situations and imagined conversations. While based on historical research, portions of the  program are dramatized for storytelling purposes.

sound–and  what do we have here. It looks like the wax figure of a Chinese person, and the identifying plaque says that his name is TI Lon

Mr. Bartley: pardon me for coming to life, but that name is tsigh loon–think of sigh& the bird loon–SIGH LOON

Night watchmen: And pardon me, but I am not familiar with you or any of your accomplishments. Were you an emperor or Chinese ruler?

Mr. Bartley: no, in fact I was made to drink poison because of political intrigue, so I guess you could say that ultimately, I was definitely not successful in the world of ancient Chinese politics.

And much of the forces that shaped my life were because I was a EUNUCH.

What does EUNUCH mean?

That is an excellent question, Mr. Bartley, because it helps explain why I occupied such an unusual position in Chinese history.

As you know, a eunuch is a man who has been castrated, usually before or shortly after puberty, so that he cannot father children. In many ancient societies this was done because rulers believed eunuchs would be more trustworthy in positions close to the royal family.

For me, however, being a eunuch meant much more than a physical condition. It shaped nearly every aspect of my life.

Why would there be such a thing as eunuchs in China?

In imperial China, only eunuchs were permitted to work in the emperor's private household. They served as:

attendants to the emperor,
servants of the imperial family,
administrators,
diplomats,
librarians,
military supervisors,
and sometimes advisers with enormous political influence.

Because they could not establish their own family dynasties, emperors often believed they would be loyal only to the throne. That trust was not always justified, however. Throughout Chinese history, some eunuchs became extremely powerful, while others became victims of court intrigue.

What did it mean for you?

I entered the imperial palace as a young eunuch during the Han dynasty. Over many years I must admit that I proved to be intelligent, educated, and highly capable.

I eventually became a high-ranking court official, overseeing the manufacture of imperial tools and weapons and managing important palace workshops. This position gave me access to the finest craftsmen, materials, and technical knowledge available in China.

It is believed that access contributed to my development of an improved method of making paper around A.D. 105.

This state of being a EUNUCH fascinating! What were some of the advantages of being a eunuch?

Mr. Bartley, Being a eunuch brought me, direct access to the emperor,
opportunities for education, influence at court, and the possibility of rising to high office despite my humble origins.

Conversely, what might be some of the disadvantages of being a EUNUCH!

AH, Mr. Bartley–the physical trauma of castration, the inability to marry or have children in the traditional sense, the resulting social stigma from mini scholars and officials, and the fact that there was constant danger from palace politics. But I must admit, that only EUNUCHS in ancient China were the only people eligible for certain specialized tasks, such as watching over the imperial harem and the imperial household; there were also certain promotions available exclusively for eunuchs.

"When we hear the word 'eunuch,' we may think only of what Cai Lun lost. But in ancient China, that single word also meant he lived inside the emperor's world—a place of privilege, influence, danger, and constant political intrigue. It was there, within the walls of the imperial palace, that he helped give the world one of its greatest inventions: paper.”

Is that fair to say?

Yes that aspect it's a part of my story– But certainly not the most important!

What did other members of the courts think of you?

Although I certainly became respected for my abilities, many Confucian officials looked down on eunuchs as unnatural figures who wielded too much influence.

How was that?

Mr. Bartley, After a change in political fortunes at court, I became associated with a faction that fell from power. Rather than face arrest and public disgrace, it is said that I bathed, dressed in my finest robes, and drank poison, dying around A.D. 121.

is said that I invented paper.

That is a huge claim!

One must note that writing has had a long history in China. The most common writing surfaces were bamboo and wooden slips, with wood for short text and bamboo for lengthy text. These materials were inconvenient because they were awkward to store, as well as being heavy, and difficult to write on. After and individual by the name of Meng Tian purportedly created an animal-hair brush for writing in 3rd-century BCE, silk and cloth emerged as alternatives that addressed these issues, but they were too far too expensive for widespread use. The absence of a practical solution motivated continuous experimentation with various materials.

I have a feeling you introduced your own method.

Precisely. In 105 AD, I announced that I had invented a new composition for paper with a brand new paper making process.

What did you do?

My pulp solution proved the most effective solution by far. My process still used bamboo, but also introduced hemp waste, old rags, fishnets, and most importantly, and bark from trees.

To be more specific, what kind of trees did you find most effective?

AH, that is an excellent question. Through my experimentation, I found that Mulberry trees were the best choice. I would boil the materials to a pulp that was beaten with a wood or stone mallet before being mixed with a large amount of water.

Then what did you do?

The resulting mixture was then processed with wooden sieves and the excess water removed, leaving the paper finished once dry.

That sounds like a rather complicated process.

Compare it to the process that was ordinarily used.  You see, writings and inscriptions were generally made on tablets of bamboo or on pieces of silk. But silk was very expensive and bamboo was quite heavy heavy, making them extremely inconvenient and quite impractical to use. My idea was to make paper from the bark of trees, hemp, old rags, and fishing nets. He then submitted the process to the emperor.

Well, what was the reaction the emperor?

He gave me a great deal of praise for this technique. From this time, paper has been in use everywhere.

Out of curiosity, what was the inspiration for your in invention.?

I must admit that many legends do exist. One of the most popular said that I was inspired by watching paper wasps make their nests. Another legend suggested that I was inspired by the people of my birthplace, who used bark from mulberry trees to create cloth as a writing surface. No matter what you believe about the origin of the process, my ideas concerning paper earned me fame throughout the empire.

Yes, I believe that anyone can see the importance of paper in the dissemination of knowledge!

Precisely! I wanted paper to change history because it can make knowledge portable, affordable, and durable. Before paper, writing certainly existed, but the materials were often expensive, heavy, or difficult to produce.

Cai Lun, you know I thought occurred to me. Paper is not only used to make books, but is the the equivalent of the internet in the ancient world. It didn't create writing, but it dramatically expanded who could use it and what could be done with it.

Yes Mr. Bartley, I believe that the invention of paper was most was revolutionary:

1. It made writing much less expensive.
Before paper, the Chinese often wrote on:
Bamboo slips, which were heavy and bulky and

Silk, which was wonderfully light but extremely expensive.

On the other hand,Paper was made largely from discarded materials such as worn-out cloth, hemp fibers, fishing nets, and tree bark. It was vastly cheaper than silk and much easier to handle than bamboo.

The invention of paper also made books practical.
Imagine trying to carry a book made of hundreds of bamboo strips tied together. A single manuscript could weigh many pounds. A paper manuscript containing the same information might weigh only a fraction as much.

That would mean: libraries could grow, scholars could own more books, and students could copy texts more easily.

Yes Mr. Bartley, the invention of paper also helped governments function. For example, The Han dynasty governed a vast empire. Officials constantly needed to record: taxes, census information, military reports, laws, and correspondence.  Paper made bureaucracy far more efficient.

The invention of paper also spread education.
Once writing materials became affordable, many more people could learn from written texts. Teachers could produce lessons. Students could make copies. Ideas could circulate much more widely.

Mr. Bartley, do not forget that the invention of paper helped preserved knowledge. Without inexpensive writing material, many ideas would disappear because they are never written down. Paper allowed generations to preserve: literature,history, science, philosophy, religion.

Yes, Every civilization builds upon what previous generations leave behind.

And last but certainly not least, the invention of paper transformed the entire world. The technology spread from China westward over centuries.

Eventually paper reached the Islamic world, then Europe, where it became one of the foundations that made possible: the spread of universities, the rise of commerce, he Printing Revolution, the Protestant Reformation, and
the Scientific Revolution. Printing would have been far less practical if every page had to be written on parchment made from animal skins.

But let me clarify something. "People often tell me I invented paper. Not exactly. Paper existed before me. What I helped create was a practical, inexpensive way to make it. I did not merely change how people wrote. I changed how humanity remembered.” I'd like to think that it wasn't simply a better writing surface—it became the vehicle by which civilization stored and shared its memory.

In conclusion, this has to be one of history's striking ironies. A man who would never have descendants by blood left a legacy that has reached virtually every human being who has ever read a book, written a letter, or learned from a page.

Oh and here is a bit of an outake–when I was using voice control for the phrase "certain promotions in the royal Chinese household exclusively for eunuchs,” voice control heard that phrase as "certain promotions in the royal Chinese household exclusively for UNIX" 

-I had no idea that the ancient Chinese royal household used computers!
It certainly gives a whole new meaning to ancient Chinese technology.

Now I'm imagining the imperial court:
Emperor: "Has the Grand Chamberlain been installed?"
Court Official: "Yes, Your Majesty, but he requires a system reboot."
Which led me to think–
"Cai Lun didn't just invent paper. He developed the first paperless operating system."
Voice Control has a knack for hearing uncommon words as familiar technical terms. Since "eunuch" is relatively rare in everyday speech while "Unix" is a comparatively well-known computing word, it's not surprising that it made the substitution.
By the way, Unix is a family of complex multitasking, multi-user computer operating systems
Could this explain why the ancient Han dynasty was so far ahead in information technology."

This has been George Bartley, thank you for listening to the hall of imagination. Join this podcast starting next week for three episodes regarding Frederick Douglas!