Wool on trees
Cotton is such a big part of our lives we take it for granted today. But, for thousands of years, it was only grown in certain parts of the world - in India and in South America. The ancient Chinese did not know about it until traders brought it from India.
The Egyptians probably knew about cotton, but they made their clothes from linen. Linen is made from the flax plant - a kind of reed. People who heard about cotton had no idea what it was. A Greek historian wrote about a mysterious tree with wool growing on it.
Worldwide demand
It was not until around the 1st century AD that cotton began its journey around the world. At this time, traders from the Middle East brought cotton from India to their home countries and then to Europe. But in Europe, the mysterious vegetable wool was very expensive and considered a luxury. The English word 'cotton' came from the Arab word 'qutun'.
Chinese traders bought cotton from the Indians, also around 1st century AD. The product became so popular there, the Yuan dynasty emperor in the late 12th century encouraged people to grow cotton. Any farmer who grew cotton would pay less taxes. Today, it is one of the mainland's most important crops.
