Digital Rights Network

The first printed book in the world (or rather, the first printed book that is actually dated) was the Chinese translation of an Indian Sanskrit treatise, the so-called Diamond Sutra, which was printed in China in 868AD. While the Diamond Sutra is almost entirely a religious document, the boldly inscribed dedication of this ninth-century book, for universal free distribution, announces a commitment to public education.

Source: Passage to China, an essay by Amartya Sen, NYRB 2004-12-02, p. 63