Post by Otto Kretschmer on Jul 27, 2024 13:32:19 GMT
In the first year of Emperor Ashoka's rule a group of men appear at his court and present him with two inventions - paper and the printing press.
Emperor Ashoka is (obviously) overjoyed with both and wants them to spread as far and wide as possible in his realm. Soon the first paper mill and the first printing house are established in India. Until Ashoka's death in 232 BC multiple printing houses and paper mills appear all around the country. His successors obviously continue to support both inventions.
What would be the consequences of all of this?
Some initial thoughts
1. Entire new branches of industry of papermakers and printers would appear.
2. The Brahmi script would become standardized, it wouldn't split into a myriad of scripts it did OTL
3. There would be an explosion of literacy. India would quickly become a country with the most literary population and the highest literary output in the world.
4. There would be an acceleration of scientific and technological progress.
However that's only in India and only in the first 100-120 years. What might the social and political consequences be for India? What about the rest of the world?
Maurya Empire under Ashoka the Great:
Emperor Ashoka is (obviously) overjoyed with both and wants them to spread as far and wide as possible in his realm. Soon the first paper mill and the first printing house are established in India. Until Ashoka's death in 232 BC multiple printing houses and paper mills appear all around the country. His successors obviously continue to support both inventions.
What would be the consequences of all of this?
Some initial thoughts
1. Entire new branches of industry of papermakers and printers would appear.
2. The Brahmi script would become standardized, it wouldn't split into a myriad of scripts it did OTL
3. There would be an explosion of literacy. India would quickly become a country with the most literary population and the highest literary output in the world.
4. There would be an acceleration of scientific and technological progress.
However that's only in India and only in the first 100-120 years. What might the social and political consequences be for India? What about the rest of the world?
Maurya Empire under Ashoka the Great: