The westward spread of Chinese paper
was slower. During the middle of the 18th century, the army of the Tang dynasty
suffered a crushing defeat in its war with the Saracens. Many Tang soldiers, including
some papermakers, were taken captive, and as a result, Arab peoples were introduced
to papermaking techniques and eventually went on to build their own mills.
As Chinese paper was superior to parchment, its reputation grew, and from the
12th to the 17th century, papermaking spread
|
throughout Europe. The Renaissance,
which began in Italy in the 14th century, prompted the development of printing
in Europe, which in turn increased the demand for paper. The Age of the Great
Voyages dawned during the 15th century, with the nations of Europe seeking resources
overseas and vying with each other in trade and the development of colonies. It
was around the middle of the 16th century that Europeans first visited the far
eastern island nation of Japan. |
