Paper – Foundation of Civilization
Introduction: Paper is well-known for us. It is a thing on which we write. Paper has influenced humans’ lives for the past thousands of years. It will not be wrong to say that paper is the backbone of learning, reading, writing, art drawing, etc. Before the invention of paper, people wrote on barks and leaves of trees. It is a thin white thing.
Its history/Invention of paper: The word paper came from the word “papyrus”. Papyrus is a thick material of the Cyprus Papyrus plant. The first paper was invented by Egyptian around 3500 BC. They used strips of paper reeds; which were dampened and pressed to turn it into a usable form. These papers were also used by Mediterranean cultures.
Paper was first invented in China. Some think that the Egyptians first made paper. They made paper from the leaves of Papyrus growing on the bank of the river Nile. It is named a paper after papyrus. It was then known to countries all over the world. At first, the paper was made by hand and nowadays papermaking is done in the mill with the help of modern machinery.
Kinds and size of Paper/Difference: Papers are of different kinds according to sizes and colors. Some are very fine and some are coarse. Some are white, some red, some black and some green. The standard sizes are the foolscap, the demy, the double demy, the double crown, and the royal. There are, also papers on different colors. Different kinds of paper are made for different purposes. There are writing paper, printing paper, packing paper, the coloured paper used for decoration, etc. and also paper-boards which are again used for various purposes including making of cartoons, book covers, etc.
Where and how paper is made/its preparation: Paper is manufactured in the mill from rags, grass, straws, and bamboo. Waste paper is also used in the process. First the rags and washed and then cut into small pieces and sorted. Then they are boiled with soda and lime to take out grease and dirt. Next, they are put into a machine. The machine tears them all the pieces. Thus the rags are ground into a pulp. Then the water is pressed out and the pulp is put between sheets. In this state, it is called blotting paper. Then it is sized to make it smooth and fit or writing on. Paper is also made by hand. Hand-made paper is coarse but more durable, and of course, more costly than mill-made paper. Mill-made paper is fine. It is also used as office stationery.
Paper mills in Bangladesh: Paper is made in the mills. There are paper mills all over the world. In Bangladesh, we have got a very large mill at Chandraghona in Rangamati district. There is another paper mill at Pushy in North Bengal (it is now laying off). The Khulna Newsprint Paper Mill is also a large one. Importance/Its role in the way of spreading education/Usefulness: Paper is very useful to us. It helps the spread of education. The learners and the learned people can not do without paper for a day. Our books, newspapers, and magazines are printed on paper. It is used for keeping official records. It is also used for making packing boxes. They are widely read and they helping the spread of knowledge.
Uses: Paper is a very useful article in our civilized life. We write on paper, we read books, newspapers and magazines which are printed on paper. It helps us to gain knowledge. Paper is used in publicity work. Posters, banners, leaflets, etc. are made of paper.
Conclusion: Paper is a part and parcel of modern civilization. It is a great blessing to us. Our education and civilization could not develop at all without it.
