Which Han dynasty official is credited with inventing paper?

Which Han dynasty official is credited with inventing paper? Cai Lun is the Han dynasty official traditionally credited with inventing or substantially improving paper. He served in the imperial court and presented a refined writing material to Emperor He of Han in AD 105. His process used plant fibers, hemp waste, old rags, and fishing nets, which were beaten into pulp, suspended in water, spread into thin sheets, and dried.

Earlier paper-like materials have been found in China, so Cai Lun may not have created the first sheet from nothing. His importance lies in developing a practical, affordable, and standardized form of paper that could be produced more widely. Later Chinese papermaking spread through East and Central Asia and eventually reached the Islamic world and Europe.

Sima Qian was a historian, Zhang Heng was an inventor and astronomer, and Bi Sheng developed movable type many centuries later. None is the conventional answer for the Han official associated with paper. Cai Lun’s contribution helped transform recordkeeping, education, administration, and the spread of literature.