MadhvaHistory on Paper use
There are reasons for absence of paper usage though the paper was in vogue in South India as early as 13/14th century. This 14th c. MS of Chikitsa Sarasangraha (c.1320) is considered as oldest paper MS of S. India. There are many paper MSs from Jaina & Veerashaiva sects.
In his “Elements of South-Indian Palæography, from the Fourth to the Seventeenth Century A.D.” British Palaeographer A.C. Burnell makes this curious observation i.e. paper “is regarded by rigid Hindus as unclean.” British linguist & paleographer David Diringer (1900-75) in his “Early Writing in India” published in 1953 resonates what Burnell said in c.1878. According to him ‘conservative Indian literates’ considered paper as a ‘Mlechcha product’ as Muslims owned paper manufacturing.
The answer for “why did the rigid & conservative Hindu Indians considered paper as unclean mlEchCha product?” can be found in the paper making technology of medieval times as explained here [see the image]. Rice-water & soda were/are not touched by traditionalists. Prof. P.K. Gode in “Studies in Indian Cultural History” narrates the paper manufacturing process which lists old cloths, tents etc. as ingredients. Again, these materials also weren’t touched by the traditionalists as they consider them to be impure. As per the traditional style of living discarded cloths, rice, rice-water, soda etc. are considered as “musure” (in Kannada) which may be translated as “impure” items for conformists (including Brahmans). Hence paper made of these materials too was considered as unclean. For this reason, though there are good number of paper MSs from Buddhist, Jaina, Lingayat & Kuruba sections of those times, no paper MS could be found from Madhva institutions.
Then how come Sri Raghavendra used paper to issue an edict? To get an answer for this, we must look again at the paper making technology of 17th c. As per Jainpedia.org paper manufacturing started using natural ingredients such as wood, bamboo etc. which are some what acceptable for traditionalists to touch. This new technology seem to have replaced the old practice of using discarded cloths, rice-water etc. May be for this reason the late medieval Brahmans (17th/18th c. onward) have started using paper as medium of writing. Thus, Sri Raghavendra Tirtha though following strict austerity has touched & signed on a paper. It must be remembered & recalled here that a century ago as Sri Vyasatirtha he didn’t use paper.
Rjrasva on Woodblock printing
Source: TW
Woodblock printing for e. g. was known & used to print textiles but they never made the leap to print books. Why? reason given is that Orthohordes (of South) considered paper impure but I was told by an acquaintance that Veda was put to paper as early as 15th cent in North & paper copies exist.
Mohammedans who used paper also didn’t adopt it, Akbar when shown the western printing press in 1580’s was supposed to claimed that it was an impressive achievement but that his calligraphers produced higher quality copies.
Shivaji did realize its potential & tried to set up a printing press in collaboration with Bhimji Parekh but gave up when they couldn’t make suitable fonts. Much later in 1790’s the Thanjavur Marathas under Serfoji II managed it along with Nana Fadanavis, both had Western help. 300 yrs too late.