Book burning

Book burning is the deliberate destruction of books or written materials by fire. This act usually occurs in a public context to express opposition to specific ideas. Such destruction is often driven by cultural, religious, or political reasons. It can serve as a form of censorship to silence certain groups. Sometimes, the goal is to show contempt for an author or their contents. In other cases, fire is used to hide private information like diaries or ledgers. Experts use the terms biblioclasm or libricide to describe this destruction.

The mechanism of book burning often involves a systematic attempt to control information. Authorities may target specific texts that they believe threaten the prevailing social order. By destroying these works, they aim to make certain ideas disappear from public memory. When this destruction is widespread and organized, it can become a part of cultural genocide. This process targets the very foundation of a group's identity. In some instances, the destruction of art happens alongside the burning of books.

There are different types of book burning throughout history. Some acts are meant for pest control rather than censorship. In the Medieval era, people sometimes burned books infested with bookworms. Most other instances are targeted at specific ideologies or religions. Some burnings are meant to celebrate a new regime by erasing the old one. Others are meant to suppress heresy or dissenting views within a religion. Even modern media like CDs, video tapes, and phonograph records have faced similar destruction.

History shows many examples of this happening in different eras. In the 7th century BCE, King Jehoiakim of Judah burned a scroll written by Baruch ben Neriah.

In China, between 213 and 210 BCE, Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the burning of books. He also reportedly ordered the burial of 460 Confucian scholars to maintain his throne.

This caused the loss of many philosophical treatises from the Hundred Schools of Thought. Only works on medicine, agriculture, and legalism survived his reign.

Religious conflicts have also driven major instances of book burning. In 325 CE, Emperor Constantine the Great issued an edict against Arian writings. He ordered that any writing by Arius be handed over to the flames. In 1562, Bishop Diego de Landa ordered the burning of Maya codices in Yucatán. He believed the books contained lies and superstitions. This caused great affliction to the Maya people. In the 16th and 17th centuries, religious changes in England led to the targeting of Catholic texts. Protestant citizens often participated in these spectacles to show loyalty to the Crown.

In the Muslim world, book burning occurred for various political and religious reasons. The third Caliph, Uthman ibn 'Affan, ordered the destruction of other texts to ensure his version of the Qur'an was the sole source. During the Mongol siege of Baghdad in 1258, the House of Wisdom was destroyed. In the 1430s, the Aztec leader Itzcoatl ordered the burning of historical codices. He believed it was not wise for all people to know certain paintings. This allowed the Aztec state to create its own official history and myths.

The significance of these events is often measured by what was lost. When irreplaceable works are destroyed, it constitutes a severe loss to human cultural heritage. For example, the Nazi book burnings became an emblem of an oppressive regime. While many copies of those books survived, the act itself signaled a move toward silencing culture.

In 1981, the burning of the Jaffna Public Library in Sri Lanka was another major loss. These events show how the struggle over ideas can lead to the physical destruction of knowledge.