In 794–795 CE, Baghdad, under the Abbasid era, saw the establishment of the world's first recorded paper mill, signaling an intellectual revival in the region. The introduction of paper to Central Asia by the 8th century is documented, yet the origins remain uncertain. The 11th-century Persian historian Al-Thaʽālibī credits Chinese prisoners captured at the Battle of Talas in 751 CE with introducing paper manufacturing to Samarkand, although this account is debated due to the lack of contemporary Arab sources and the absence of papermakers among the prisoners listed by Chinese captive Du Huan. Al-Nadim, a 10th-century writer from Baghdad, noted that Chinese craftsmen made paper in Khorasan, suggesting the existence of Khurasani paper, which had varied attributions to the Umayyad or Abbasid periods.

Scholar Jonathan Bloom disputes the direct connection between Chinese prisoners and the advent of paper in Central Asia, citing archaeological findings that indicate paper's presence in Samarkand before 751 CE. The differences in papermaking techniques and materials between China and Central Asia suggest that the narrative of Chinese introduction is metaphorical. Central Asian papermaking, possibly influenced by Buddhist merchants and monks before the Islamic conquest, diverged from the Chinese method by using waste materials like rags. Islamic civilization played a crucial role in disseminating paper technology across the Middle East post-8th century, reaching Armenian and Georgian monasteries by 981 CE, and eventually Europe and beyond. The term "ream" for paper bundles, derived from the Arabic 'rizma', remains a historical testament to this legacy.