The History of Printing in Ancient China

Paper Summary:

This paper shows the important role that Buddhism and Confucianism played in the development of printing. It then shows the important role that printing played in the development and history of these two religions. The paper particularly discusses the history of printing from the time of the Tang Dynasty and the Sung Dynasty in Ancient China.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Very Beginning of Printing - Tang Dynasty (618-906)
Reasons why Printing was Invented - Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty
The Diamond Sutra
Buddhist and Confucian Books Printed in the Sung Dynasty
Importance of Printing to Buddhism and Confucianism
Commercial Uses for Printing
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"As has been shown above, the Ancient Chinese were the first to develop printing, during the Tang Dynasty and the Sung Dynasty. The main reason they did this was because printing was needed to produce and distribute more religious texts. In particular, Buddhist texts were the reason why early printing was developed. Printing then made possible the production of the first complete Buddhist canon. So, it must have been very important in spreading and developing Buddhism in China. Although printing was soon used for commercial applications, it continued to be important for religious literature. During the Sung Dynasty, it was used to produce Confucian books. Thanks to the invention of printing, a fair amount of early religious works still exist today."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Findling, John E., Frank W. Thackeray and David Curtis Wright. (Eds.) The History of China. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001.
• Gernet, Jacques. A History of Chinese Civilization. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
• Ikeda, Daisaku. The Flower of Chinese Buddhism. New York: Weatherhill, 1986.
• Mair, Victor H. (ed.) The Columbia History of Chinese Literature. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001.
• Mongan, Elizabeth and Edwin Wolf. The First Printers and Their Books: A Catalogue of an Exhibition Commemorating the Five Hundredth Anniversary of the Invention of Printing. Philadelphia: Free Library of Philadelphia, 1940.

More papers on The History of Printing in Ancient China:

• Research Paper # 133954 : "Printing, Buddhist and Confucian Texts in China"
• Term Paper # 117378 : "The History of Printing"
• Analytical Essay # 2276 : "The Role of Women in Ancient Times"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: