Nepali Wanderer

When the famous explorer Marco Polo traveled to China in 1275 AD, he encountered a land brimming with marvels that astounded him. Upon his return to Europe after 24 years in China, it was no wonder that his book, “The Travels of Marco Polo,” became an instant classic.

Filled with a blend of facts, fiction, and fantasies, Polo’s book described incredible sights such as burning coals, wines made from rice, giant unicorns, and even pasta-growing trees. Among these marvels, one concept particularly fascinated both Marco Polo and his European audience: paper money. At a time when even paper was a novelty in Europe, the idea of paper money was revolutionary.

To understand why China seemed like a land of fantasy, we must delve into its rich history. China has long been one of the largest and wealthiest countries on earth, known for its astounding inventions and innovations. The Yellow River Civilization and the Yangtze River Civilization, two of the oldest in the world, both flourished in China.

The Yellow River (often called the Mother River of China) flows through the northern part of the country, while the Yangtze River, the longest river in China, flows through the south. These rivers were the cradles of early Chinese civilization, with the Yellow River Civilization credited with the invention of Mandarin and the Yangtze River Civilization pioneering rice farming. The fusion of these civilizations laid the foundation for ancient Chinese culture and society.
Ruled by various imperial dynasties from 221 BC to 1911 AD, China’s history is typically divided into three eras: Pre-Imperial China, Imperial China, and Modern China. During its Imperial Era, China witnessed the reign of eight powerful dynasties before transitioning into the Republic of China in 1911 and the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

Even before the Imperial Era, China had contributed two of the most important philosophies to the world: Taoism and Confucianism. Founded by Laozi around the 6th century BC, Taoism emphasizes the concept of ‘Wu-Wei,’ or doing by not-doing, and the balance of opposing forces in nature, known as Yin and Yang. Confucianism, on the other hand, espouses values of respect, fairness, and strong central authority, shaping Chinese culture and governance for over two millennia.

Although China did have different dynasties before the Imperial Era, the birth of a strong unified state happened only in 221 BC. The Qin dynasty unified fragmented warring states in a ten-year-long campaign to unify and create a China. The name “China” comes from Qin (pronounced as Chin).

Yet it would be the Han dynasty that would have a lasting impact on China. Heavily inspired by Confucianism, the Han dynasty was able to create a stronger, more organized government. China also got more connected with the outside world through trade during the Han Era, bringing in foreign cultures and philosophies, including Buddhism.

The influence of the Han dynasty in China can be testified by the fact that the name Han was taken as the name for the Chinese people. Today, the Han Chinese make up more than 90 percent of the population of China and are the largest ethnic group in the world.
China’s contributions to the world include not only Taoism and Confucianism but also numerous inventions such as silk, porcelain, noodles, and tea. However, the contributions that have most impacted the world are Paper, Printing, Gunpowder and Compass, often heralded as the four greatest inventions of China. Paper and printing facilitated the spread of knowledge, gunpowder transformed warfare, and the compass enabled global exploration.

China’s invention of paper money significantly impacted the world. With the necessary tools of paper and printing developed much earlier than in other parts of the world, it was inevitable that paper money would be invented in China first. The concept originated during the Tang dynasty around 800 AD with “flying cash,” and became more pronounced during the Song dynasty with the issuance of government-produced paper money known as jiaozi.

Europe, in comparison, took 1000 more years to invent paper, 400 more years to create the printing press, and 600 more years to develop its own paper money. In this regard, China was far ahead of Europe and other regions. The legendary paper money, after all its fabled tales, eventually became the official currency of China.

But here’s a plot twist: It happened under a foreign ruler. China, a land known for homegrown leaders, suddenly found itself under the control of the Mongols — the same Mongols we discussed in our chapter on the Islamic Empires. Remember Marco Polo’s cameo at the beginning? That took place during the reign of Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan. So, next up, we dive into the nomadic world of Genghis Khan and his Mongol Empire.