Under Abbasid rule , the legend goes , the secret of papermaking was obtained from two Chinese prisoners in 751 . This led to the first paper mill in the Islamic world being founded in Samarkand . Under Abbasid rule , the legend goes , the secret of papermaking was obtained from two Chinese prisoners from the Battle of Talas in 751 , which led to the first paper mill in the Islamic world being founded in Samarkand .