IB History Exam Prep

Answer - A - The Song Empire existed more than 500 years after the Han, Roman, and Gupta Empires.

Key Takeaway: The Song Empire ruled China between 960 and 1279. It was the first government in world history to issue paper money and it was the first Chinese government to create a permanent navy. It also saw the first known use of gunpowder. During the reign of the Song Empire, the population of China doubled in size through expanded rice cultivation in central and southern China, the use of early-ripening rice from southeast and southern Asia, and the production of abundant food surpluses.