What influence does four great inventions of ancient china have on the world? (The more detailed, the better)

China's four great inventions were introduced to the west before the emergence of modern European civilization, which had a certain impact on the development of western science and technology. The appearance of printing changed the situation that only monks can study and receive higher education, which facilitated the spread of culture. The adoption of gunpowder and firearms destroyed the ideological shackles of Catholicism in medieval Europe. The introduction of compass made it possible for European navigators to discover America and sail around the world, which laid the foundation for the development of world trade and western handicrafts.

The four great inventions left a brilliant page in the history of human science and culture. These great inventions have influenced and benefited the whole world and promoted the progress of human history. Firearms, rockets, cannons and other weapons were all invented by China. In the Song Dynasty, due to the low quality of individual combat, gunpowder weapons were born in order to balance and influence the world and vigorously develop military science and technology.

During the Ming Dynasty, many kinds of gunpowder weapons were reformed, so the military science and technology of the Ming Dynasty reached the peak of the world. At the same time, the Ming dynasty also actively introduced western science and technology. However, since17th century, western countries used compasses to travel around the world and actively developed colonies, the rulers of the Qing court began to implement a complete closed-door policy and knew nothing about the rise of the western world. China began to lag behind the western countries.

The influence of papermaking

As early as the Western Han Dynasty, the working people in China could already make paper. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cai Lun improved papermaking on the basis of summarizing predecessors' experience. He made plant fiber paper from bark, hemp head, rags and old fishing nets. Cai Lun was once named "Dragon Pavilion Hou", so people called this piece of paper he created "Cai Hou Paper". Since the 6th century, papermaking has gradually spread to Korea and Japan, and then to Greece and Italy in Europe through Arabia, Egypt and Spain. 1 150, Spain began to make paper and established the first paper mill in Europe. Since then, France (1 189), Italy (1276), Germany (139 1), Britain (1494), and the Netherlands (/kloc-0). In the 6th century, paper became popular in Europe. In medieval Europe, it is said that copying a Bible requires more than 300 sheepskins, and the dissemination of cultural information is extremely narrow due to the limitation of materials. The invention of paper provided extremely favorable conditions for the vigorous development of education, politics and commerce in Europe at that time.

The influence and controversy of printing.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties in China, people combined seal cutting and rubbing to invent block printing. The Diamond Sutra left in the Tang Dynasty is exquisite and clear, and it is the earliest block printing with exact date in the world (868). 165438+In the Song Dynasty in the middle of the 20th century, Bi Sheng invented movable type printing, which made printing widely popular. Woodblock printing in China spread to Arabia in the 8th century, from Arabia to Europe after 1 1 century, and to Egypt around12nd century. With the spread of papermaking, paper has successively replaced Egyptian papyrus, Indian leaves and European sheepskin, which has triggered a great change in the world's writing materials, from 14 to 65438+.

The earliest block printing with an exact date in Europe is The Portrait of Saint Christopher in Nande (1423), which is about 600 years later than that in China. /kloc-around 0/450, influenced by Chinese movable type printing, Germans created movable type printing with European phonetic symbols to print books, which was 400 years later than Bi Sheng. After printing spread to Europe, it changed the situation that only monks could study and receive higher education, and provided important material conditions for the rapid development of science in Europe after the long night of the Middle Ages and the emergence of the Renaissance Movement.

1584, Gonzalez de Mendoza, a Spanish historian and missionary, pointed out in the History of Great China that Gutenberg was influenced by China's printing technology; China's printing was introduced into Germany in two ways, one was through Russia, and the other was through Arab merchants carrying books. In medieval Europe, parchment was used for writing, and there were no concepts of "book" and "printing". Gutenberg used these China books as blueprints for his printing. Mendoza's books were quickly translated into French, English and Italian, which had a great influence in Europe. French historian Louis Le Roy and writer Michel de Montaigne both agree with Mendoza's argument. An Tian, a French sinologist, once argued that movable type printing in Europe originated in China with the title "Masterpiece of Deception in Europe: The so-called Gutenberg may be the inventor of printing". ([France] An Tian Pu's History of China Culture Spreading to the West in Europe)

Influence of gunpowder

China had invented gunpowder in the Tang Dynasty, and it was first used in the military. At the beginning of the 10 century, artillery and rockets appeared, and firearms were widely used in the war of the Song Dynasty. Mongols learned to make gunpowder and firearms from the battle with Song Jin, while Arabs learned to make firearms from the battle with Mongols. /kloc-In the late 3rd century, Europeans learned gunpowder knowledge from Arabic books./kloc-In the early 4th century, they learned how to make gunpowder and use firearms from the wars against Muslim countries. Firearms have played a great role in the struggle of European urban citizens against absolute monarchy. The invention of gunpowder greatly promoted the process of historical development and was one of the important pillars of the European Renaissance.

Engels pointed out: "Firearms were the weapons of cities and emerging monarchies relying on cities against feudal nobles from the beginning. The stone walls of aristocratic castles that were impregnable before could not stand the cannon of the citizens; The citizen's gun shot through the knight's armor, and the aristocratic rule and the aristocratic cavalry in armor guaranteed each other. "

The influence of compass

As early as the Warring States Period, China had made "SiNa" according to the characteristics of magnets indicating north and south, which was the earliest guide in the world. During the Northern Song Dynasty, people invented the method of making compass by artificially magnetizing iron needle, and began to apply it to navigation. In the Southern Song Dynasty, compasses were widely used in navigation and spread to Arabian Peninsula. /kloc-At the beginning of the 0/3rd century, the compass was introduced to Europe. The application of compass in navigation led to Columbus's voyage to discover the new continent of America and Magellan's voyage around the world. This has greatly accelerated the process of world economic development.

Historical significance

The four great inventions are a series of glorious footprints left to the world by Han ancestors in China, and they are symbols of great contributions made by human civilization and progress.

(1) the invention of papermaking: it provided economical and convenient writing materials for human beings and set off a revolution of human writing carrier;

The invention of block printing greatly promoted the spread of culture;

(3) The invention of the compass provided conditions for the navigation activities of European navigators;

(4) Invention of gunpowder weapons: The use of gunpowder weapons changed the way of fighting, helped the European bourgeoisie to destroy feudal fortresses and accelerated the historical process in Europe.