27 Facts About Cai Lun

Cai Lun, formerly romanized as Ts'ai Lun, was a Chinese eunuch court official of the Eastern Han dynasty.

Cai Lun occupies a pivotal place in the history of paper due to his addition of pulp via tree bark and hemp ends which resulted in the large-scale manufacture and worldwide spread of paper.

However, Cai Lun's most noted innovation was in 105 CE, when he substantially improved the papermaking process with the use of tree bark, hemp waste, old rags, and fishnets.

In 110 CE, Lady Deng, who had become the empress dowager to the young Emperor An, appointed Cai Lun to oversee 100 scholars' new edition of the Five Classics.

When his ally Deng died in 121 CE, Cai Lun was ordered to the Ministry of Justice because of his involvement in the death of the emperor's grandmother, Consort Song.

The main source of information on Cai Lun is just 300 characters in volume 78 of the, an official history compiled by the Liu Song dynasty historian and politician Fan Ye.

Cai Lun was born in Guiyang Commandery in the Eastern Han dynasty.

Cai Lun is known to have been a eunuch in 75 CE, although it is possible he was employed somewhat earlier in the era; sinologist Rafe de Crespigny suggested this was in the early 70s.

Cai Lun's position was probably as a liaison between the privy council and the emperor, and likely involved duties akin to a chamberlain for the imperial family.

Narita notes Cai Lun's role meant he would have had many chances to become acquainted with the most powerful people in the empire.

Around 80 CE, during the subsequent era under Emperor Zhang, Cai Lun was promoted to a Xiao Huangmen.

Dou then ordered Cai Lun to interrogate Consort Song and her sister, another imperial consort, to force a confession; they both killed themselves.

Cai Lun served as a private counselor to He in political matters; this post gave Cai Lun a salary-rank of 2000 shi, and was the highest eunuch-exclusive position, which made him a chief eunuch of the palace.

Cai Lun was not involved in their removal, and though he was previously allied with the family, he was undisturbed by the Emperor's coup.

In 105, Cai Lun publicly declared that he had invented a new composition for paper with a new papermaking process.

Cai Lun then initiated the idea of making paper from the bark of trees, hemp, old rags, and fishing nets.

Cai Lun submitted the process to the emperor in the first year of [105] and received praise for his ability.

Many legends about the inspiration for Cai Lun's invention exist; one of the most popular said that Cai Lun was inspired by watching paper wasps make their nests.

Tsien suggested that Cai Lun was inspired by the people of his birthplace, who used bark from mulberry trees to create cloth as a writing surface.

Cai Lun appointed Cai to oversee and supervise the production; de Crespigny said that this meant Cai "was seriously concerned with scholarship".

Later that year Zheng died and Cai Lun succeeded him as the head of the Dowager's household.

Additionally, Cai Lun is responsible for the earliest known use of tree bark and hemp as ingredients for paper, and it is clear that paper did not see widespread use in China until Cai Lun's improvements.

However, due to the pivotal significance of his improvements and the resulting spread of paper use throughout China, Cai Lun continues to be traditionally credited with inventing paper.

However, Cai Lun is only somewhat known outside East Asia and is often excluded from major encyclopedias.

Cai Lun was among the important people declared gods, and was deified as the national god of papermaking.

Cai Lun became a patron saint for papermakers, with his image often being painted or printed onto paper mills and paper shops in not only China, but Japan.

The from Macun and Zhongxing denied the demand, citing their long history of worshipping Cai Lun, which resulted in increasing conflict between the sides and eventually a lawsuit.