The passport's journey from ancient travel permits to a high-tech tool of both privilege and control reveals a surprising history of freedom, inequality, and evolving global power.
"Key Highlights:
1. Ancient civilizations used permits for safe travel and trade.
2. Modern passports began post-WWI to regulate global movement.
3. Passports today symbolize both privilege and control worldwide."
"The modern passport, as we know it today, became essential after World War I. However, its history goes back thousands of years, where ancient civilizations used documents for safe passage and identification.
Early humans moved freely without borders or legal restrictions. But as civilizations grew, boundaries were created, changing how people traveled. Travel documents, like clay tablets in Mesopotamia and letters in medieval Europe, became necessary for trade, diplomacy, and security.
Around 2000 BCE, Mesopotamia used clay tablets to track the movement of goods and people. Ancient Egypt issued letters of safe conduct for traders, and during the Mauryan Empire in India, Emperor Ashoka’s edicts supported trade and travel, ensuring safety for travelers.
In medieval times, the Indian Mughal Empire issued 'Sanads' or letters of safe conduct for merchants, travelers, and diplomats, encouraging trade and cultural exchange. Modern passports evolved from these practices as travel became more regulated with colonial expansion in Europe.
In the early 20th century, immigrants moved freely with minimal checks, especially at Ellis Island in the U.S. Today’s passports, with biometric features, are a far cry from early travel documents. These older forms, like the 'safe conduct pass', were simply agreements between rulers for secure passage.
After World War I, the League of Nations pushed for standardized global travel, leading the U.S. to impose stricter immigration laws. While passports once symbolized freedom, they’ve also become tools of control and privilege, as historian Martin Lloyd and author Atossa Abrahamian highlight.
For instance, in the early 1900s, married American women couldn’t travel without their husbands, reflecting how passports reinforced inequality. Today, they’ve become commodities in a market influenced by politics and citizenship laws.
Passports remain symbols of both opportunity and exclusion. Depending on where we’re from, they either open doors or limit our movement. As the world changes, passports must continue to evolve. What will the future passport look like? Only time will tell."
