Essay On Story Of Paper
We all know and understand the importance of paper. Apart from writing and reading, paper is required for many other things, History of paper is very interesting. In ancient times man used to carve his feelings or thoughts on stones. After the Stone Age man invented slates made with clay and started using them for writing. Then he found out that even the leaves and bark of some trees can be used for writing purposes. 4000 years ago the Egyptians started using the bark of Papyrus trees for writing for the first time. The English word ‘paper’ has originated from the word ‘Papyrus’.
In India, we have been using ‘Bhojpatra’ and ‘Tadpatra’ for writing. Many holy books and manuscripts are still available in this form. They are important documents both culturally and historically. Apart from the bark of the tree, man has also learned to use animal skin for writing. The hides of goat or sheep were converted into parchment and were cut proportionately. These leather pages were then bound properly and were used for writing. Initially, these pages were used to prepare religious books, but slowly books on law and medicine came into existence.
The paper that we see today was prepared in China for the first time. Chinese travelers and traders carried this technology to Samarkand and thus it was acquired by the Arab countries. From Samarkand, it slowly spread to Spain followed by England and the whole of Europe. The technology was developed further. With the invention of new technologies, machines were employed to make paper. In 1798 the paper-making machine was invented in France for the first time. The first paper factory was established in England.
Today we have many modern machines to make paper. Thousands of tons of paper are made with it. Raw materials like old paper, grass, old clothes, cane, etc are used to make the paper. All this material is cut into fine pieces and chemicals are added to it. The pulp that is obtained is dried and thus converted into paper. The large-sized paper that is obtained is cut into the required size. The paper that we use today is smooth and thick. Different varieties of paper are used for different purposes. For example, different type of paper is used for newspapers or to print currency.
However, making a paper has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. It’s true that the paper industry is the most advanced and important industry today. It has provided employment to many. But a large number of trees are cut for making paper. So we should make use of paper with much precaution. We should not waste paper but reuse and recycle it. With the increasing use of computers and credit cards, paper consumption is slowly reducing. But that is not sufficient. We should try our level best to reduce its consumption further.
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