The Power of Knowledge

 Let's read about some great inventions:

Human beings are inquisitive, observer and experimental by nature.This has made them learn more about different things.This knowledge earlier passed on orally from one generation to the next.After sparing so much time on this process, gradually man learnt the art , they were able to draw, paint and write. Thus a record of knowledge in black and white was kept.

Journey of Writing.

In the ancient time,man would draw images of animals and things he noticed around him. Cave walls in France, Spain and in India are examples of this till today.

Gradually, man started using symbols to represent words or sounds. As symbols developed, script emerged. Script is a certain system of writing and each language uses its own script in the world.

 In ancient Egypt, the script had symbols and pictures. Later on ,they were called as 'hieroglyphics.

Gradually pictorial symbols gave way to letters.It's a fact that oldest scripts ever found was from the seals of the Indus Valley Civilization-Indus Seal. Still researches are in the process to read and understand it.

Then about 2000 years ago the Bramhi script was developed in India.

Today's Indian scripts ,being used ,have their origin in the Bramhi Script. Hindi language is written in Devnagari Script.

Numbers (their beginning and use)

In the ancient time when man used to hunt animals and collect food. They drew figures, symbols and dots for counting,which proved to be a rather crude and unreliable method.

Decimal system was first developed in India.Same with the concept of zero that originated in India. It also spread into the Arab region and the people there called it as 'Hindra' that means ' of India'. Currently all of us are aware with this system as the 'Hindu Arabic System'

How paper invented:

The word paper is derived from papyrus. It is  a reed that the Egyptians used to make paper. Many countries used it as writing material . Later The Chinese made paper by using the pulp of wood bark. These days wood pulp is used worldwide  for making paper. Then the invention of the printing press also led to an increase in demand for paper.

The story of Printing.

 The art of writing developed from painting , made on the wall of the caves. Human beings first started writing on clay tablets, leaves and on animal skin. Wood and bamboo were used to make pointed pen shaped tools which were used as writing instruments. Afterwards ,writing was done on paper.

In the previous time, books were copied by hand. It was a slow and tiring process .This also made the copied books very expensive. So only rich people were able to buy and read books.

Again China took initiative by developing the art of printing.about 1500 years ago.But this method was not so popular being very strenuous. However about 1000 years later, in 1443 , a German fellow ,Johannes Gutenberg created the first printing press. He made use of moulds of letters of the alphabet which made words, lines and pages. Ink was applied on the moulds in a frame. Then the frame was pressed against a smooth surface. He would then reset and reuse the moulds. The Bible was the first book printed in Gutenberg's printing press.

It was made possible by this printing press to make many copies of a book in lesser time than before. It became little cheaper so the common people could afford to buy and read books.

Gradually, there was advancement in printing process . Things became less complicated and publishing books was no more a tedious job. So book lovers got relieved and were able to enjoy reading different types of books at affordable price.