Wang Zhen (inventor)

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Wang Zhen (* 1271 ; † 1368 ) was a Chinese inventor , agronomist , writer and politician of the Yuan Dynasty . He is considered to be one of the inventors of the early movable wood printing technology. His illustrated agricultural treatise Nong Shu (農 書) was one of the most advanced of its time, depicting a wide range of agricultural implements and technologies available in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

life and work

Wang Zhen (zh | t = 王 禎 | s = 王 祯 | p = Wáng Zhēn | w = Wang Chen) was born in Shandong Province and was an officer in Anhui and Jiangxi Provinces for many years . From 1290 to 1301 he worked as a magistrate, a kind of justice of the peace, for Jingde in Anhui Province. He is also considered a pioneer in the use of movable wood printer type. The wooden movable type was first described in its publication Nong Shu (農 書) of 1313, known as the Book of Agriculture . Although the title reflects the main subject, the book still covers a wide variety of subjects beyond agriculture. The Nong Shu was an important treatise outlining the application of various Chinese sciences, technologies, and agricultural practices - from water-powered bellows to movable printer's type . It is considered a masterpiece in depicting the contemporary technologies of the Chinese Middle Ages.

Wang wrote out Nong Shu for various practical reasons. In view of the poverty and oppression during the Yuan period, it was intended, among other things, to support the poor Chinese farmers and improve their livelihoods. While the previous Song Dynasty was a period of relatively great economic and agricultural stability, the Mongol rulers of the Yuan Dynasty affected China's economic and agricultural situation. Therefore, a book like Nong Shu was able to help farmers increase their yields. However, the aim was not to be read by the mostly illiterate farmers, but rather to show the best agricultural methods to local officials as intermediaries.

See also

literature

  • Joseph Needham: Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Part 2. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd. 1986.
  • Joseph Needham: Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Part 1. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd. 1986.
  • Joseph Needham: Science and Civilization in China: Volume 6, Part 2. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd. 1986.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wang Zhen - Paper Discovery Center. Retrieved November 17, 2017 (American English).
  2. ↑ Käthe Zhao: Science and Technology in Ancient China . Springer-Verlag, 2013, ISBN 978-3-0348-6379-7 ( google.de [accessed on November 17, 2017]).
personal data
SURNAME Wang Zhen
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Chinese inventor, agronomist, writer and politician
DATE OF BIRTH 1271
DATE OF DEATH 1368