Han Dynasty Inventions

Winnowing Machine
Photo by: Wikipedia Creative Commons

Many would claim that the Han dynasty was one of the most powerful of all of China’s dynasties, not only in terms of economic growth and border expansion but also because of its trendsetting technology. The Han dynasty inventions were some of the greatest contributions not only in the Chinese society but even across the globe. Some of the lesser known innovations developed during this period include the creation of the wheelbarrow and the seismograph. Stirrups were also believed to have been used first during this time.

There are several major Han dynasty inventions that have been famously credited to this period. These inventions have in one way or another shaped the way our world is lived in right now. The first and perhaps the most popular is the invention of the paper making process during the Han dynasty. Although historians claim that the oldest piece of wrapping paper can be traced back to the Chinese during the 2nd BCE, the process of making paper was invented during the Han period. The eunuch Cai Lun was credited for this invention. His process used mulberry bark as the main ingredient.

The invention of cast iron tools can also be credited to the people of the Han dynasty. It was during the Han dynasty that the cast iron processing was perfected. Furnaces which are able to convert iron ore into pig iron and later into cast iron were operational in China during the Han dynasty period. This resulted in vastly improved weapons, tools and domestic wares. More importantly, it paved the way for the creation of new agricultural tools which in turn helped increase the agricultural tax revenue of the empire.

Also the Han dynasty, credited for inventing the loom, set the tone for silk weaving during that era. It was because of their invention that silk could be marketed as an expensive piece of article. Their science of weaving also paved the way for the creation of the Silk Road. This meant increased revenue for the people of the Han dynasty.

True enough, the people of the Han dynasty pioneered some of the most important advancements in human history. The Han dynasty inventions are solid proof of the intellectual prowess of the Han dynasty people; another testimony to the power that was the Han dynasty.