Before the advent of coronavirus vaccine, people around the world were stocking up on living supplies to varying degrees. It was sad that women had a brawl over toilet paper at Woolworths.
Apparently, having enough toilet paper seems to have become a luxury thing. In fact, we don’t have to stock up on toilet paper. Everyone is now able to buy regular toilet paper, even which so-called luxury toilet paper.
If we could go back more than 1,300 years to the Ming Dynasty, you would have found that toilet paper was a real luxury. Because only people who were rich enough or had the power could use it.
Especially the Ming emperors, because of their status as emperors it was decided that they could occupy the best resources of Ming Dynasty. The toilet paper used by the Ming emperors was the best and could even be described as luxury.
Ordinary People Can’t Afford Toilet Paper
Official Chinese historical records of toilet paper first appeared in the Yuan Dynasty. Before that, ordinary people used bamboo strips, shingles and other items. After they are used, people actively wash them for reuse.
It seems pretty disgusting according to modern values, but that’s how ordinary people living before the Yuan Dynasty went to the toilet of wiping their asses. It was acceptable to go to the toilet without toilet paper in an ancient Chinese society.
Although the paper was gradually used as toilet paper in Yuan Dynasty. But it’s still one thing that people with money or power could do. After the Yuan Dynasty was replaced by Ming Dynasty, the popularity of toilet paper remained low.
It was the fact of Ming Dynasty that poor people could not afford toilet paper. Particularly during a period when paper technology was underdeveloped, the high cost of paper prevented it from developing into toilet paper.
Although toilet paper was not used much in Ming Dynasty, the paper used by the emperor was extravagant. Ordinary people’s toilet paper was made of paper, but the Emperor’s was made of silk.
Status and Local Interests
The hierarchy was one of the characteristics of ancient feudal Chinese society, and even toilet paper could reflect the wealth gap of a dynasty. The poor of Ming Dynasty could not afford toilet paper, but the emperor used the luxury toilet paper made of silk.
According to Ming history, the toilet paper used by Hongzhi emperor was made of silk. The silk used to make toilet paper came from wild silkworm cocoons made in Sichuan.
Every year, officials in Sichuan provided emperor with this special toilet paper. It was not until Hongzhi emperor discovered that the palace maids around him were collecting his used toilet paper to make curtains. Upon learning the reason for the collection, Hongzhi emperor realized how extravagant his life was.
Then, Hongzhi emperor ordered that silk toilet paper should not be used. So that he could reduce consumer spending and show himself as a holy emperor. However, the emperor’s practices led to the unemployment of a portion of the silkworm farmers in Sichuan. At the suggestion of Sichuan officials, Hongzhi emperor again used this luxury toilet paper.
The truth was that the officials did not want to lose the way of flattering Hongzhi emperor. Providing the Emperor with high-quality silk toilet paper was one of the officials’ political achievements.
Cost of Emperor’s Toilet Paper
Not all emperors in the Ming Dynasty used silk toilet paper. Even though the emperor used ordinary toilet paper, these toilet papers were different.
According to the record of Da Ming Hui Dian, a professional division was set up in the Ming imperial palace to be responsible for the production of toilet paper. The color, size and softness of toilet paper had strict requirements.
Let’s take the color of toilet paper as an example, light yellow toilet paper that only the emperor could use. Because yellow is the exclusive color of the emperor in traditional Chinese culture.
Due to the Ming Dynasty palace in the personnel reached more than 100,000 people, which made the palace’s toilet paper production department not only for the emperor, but also for eunuchs and palace maids to manufacture ordinary toilet paper.
According to historical sources, people living and working in the Ming Dynasty palace consumed 720,000 sheets of toilet paper a year, which would have cost more than 1,500 taels of silver. A rough calculation of 1,500 taels of silver in the Ming Dynasty is equal to about $140,000.
In Conclusion
In fact, the Chinese had invented papermaking in Han Dynasty. Paper was never used as toilet paper until the Yuan Dynasty out of respect for the carrier of culture.
The use of toilet paper reached still a very low level in Ming Dynasty. In addition to the emperor’s luxury toilet paper, some wealthy members of society gradually accepted it. It can be said that the ability to afford toilet paper symbolized its economic power and political status.
Compared to an industrial society, it is backward that the way of Ming toilet paper production. So, are you still upset that you don’t have enough toilet paper after you learn more about the real situation of people going to the toilet in Ming Dynasty?
