Dear Matthew,
Anthony Reid (A History of Southeast Asia: Critical Crossroads, 2015: 133) mentions the import of paper to SEA from China in the 15th cent., and there is the 14th cent. Niitisaararasamuccaya ms. from Kerinci. Also, there is an indication
in a Bagan inscription, dated 1223, that features both the terms parabaik (i.e. other than palm leaf) and a donation of steatite in a container typical for usage on black (paper) parabaik more recently. Lammerts (2010, 232, fn. 7 and 10) points out that the
terms and materials mentioned there may, but need not necessarily point to the usage of paper.
Many thanks for raising this intriguing larger question, Matthew.
Warmly,
Christoph
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Sent from my iPhone
Dear Christoph,
Your comment is very interesting, and there does seem to be a prima facie similarity between
what is described in Dominic's passage and parabaik techniques. But when does paper-making
(or parabaik-making) technology begin in SE Asia? What do we know of its early history in the
region?
all best,
Matthew
Matthew Kapstein
Directeur
d'études,
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes
Numata Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies,
The University of Chicago