![]() For this reason, although some argue the origins are British – from ‘pass’ and ‘port’, in reference to access through maritime ports others believe the word comes from the French ‘port’, referring to the city gate. In 1420 in France, King Louis XI began to issue certificates, authorizing the free circulation of merchandise with the notion finally being extended, in a limited manner, to the general French public in 1464. However, the origins of the word are disputed to this day. This British Act of Parliament in 1414 may, therefore, be considered the first written mention of the ‘passport’ in modern history. As Martin Lloyd describes, these sorts of “gentleman’s agreements” were mainly intended to allow foreign travelers, previously considered enemies, “passage in and out of the kingdom for the purpose of negotiations”. Citizens were sometimes also provided with this document however, this was normally done at a fee. In Continental Europe, it was not until King Henry V’s reign in Britain that what became known as “safe-conduct documents” started being issued, mainly to foreigners traveling inland for trade purposes. The first Japanese passport, issued in 1866 This is quite close to the idea of a ‘modern’ passport as it effectively exemplifies an official travel document, provided by the state to its citizens. In effect, anyone without such a document could not travel between different regions, and citizens would be required to present their bara’a at different checkpoints along their travels. The Medieval Islamic Caliphate would issue a bara’a to tax-paying citizens, as a form of receipt for and proof of taxes paid. ![]() ![]() The Muslim world also had its own take on the historical precursor to the modern-day passport. Anyone wishing to move across borders would be required to present this document at different control points. This would indicate the individual’s age, height, and other bodily features, to serve as identifiers. The Chinese Han Dynasty, as early back as 206BC also began controlling movement across imperial territories with a document. This is considered the first recorded mention of the concept of the passport. To do this, he was given letters from the King, granting safe passage to the Kingdom of Judah. As far back as 445BC, in the Book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament of the Bible, Nehemiah was tasked with helping to rebuild Jerusalem. What began as a document indicating a leader’s consent to people entering his territory continued to evolve to reflect changing societal needs and modi operandi.
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