Which 751 conflict is often linked to paper-making knowledge spreading westward from China?

The Battle of Talas in 751 is often linked to paper-making knowledge spreading westward from China.

The battle was fought near the Talas River in Central Asia between the Chinese Tang dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate, whose forces were supported by Karluk allies. The Abbasid side prevailed, limiting Tang influence in the region, although the battle did not by itself end all Chinese activity in Central Asia.

Later accounts connect captured Chinese craftsmen with the introduction of paper-making to the Islamic world, often naming Samarkand as an early center. Paper subsequently became important for administration, scholarship, literature, and religious writing across the Abbasid domains.

Historians treat the traditional story cautiously. Paper technology may have moved through several channels, and the evidence does not prove that one battle single-handedly transferred the craft. The conflict’s political importance and the broader movement of technology are both well established.