Was paper in Samarkand before the Battle of Talas

Paper reached Samarkand before the battle said to have brought it there

A traditional story says Chinese prisoners brought papermaking to Central Asia after the Battle of Talas in 751. But archaeologists have found paper in Samarkand from decades earlier. Chinese and Central Asian paper was also made with different materials and methods.

Switzerland's modern federation emerged from a civil war lasting weeks

In 1847, a conflict between Switzerland's cantons ended in less than a month with relatively few deaths compared with many European civil wars. The victorious federal forces helped clear the way for the constitution of 1848. Switzerland became a more unified federal state while retaining substantial powers for its cantons.

Japan gave the Ainu citizenship while suppressing their culture

A Japanese law passed in 1899 made the Ainu Japanese citizens while putting their land under government control and pushing them to adopt Japanese culture. Ainu language, religion, and customs were suppressed, so citizenship came together with the loss of many rights as a distinct Indigenous people.

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Was paper in Samarkand before the Battle of Talas

Paper reached Samarkand before the battle said to have brought it there

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