Why is colonial census considered an example of relation between knowledge and power?

Correct answer: Because society was classified to make rule and control easier

The direct answer is A: colonial census classified society in ways that could make administration and control easier. A census collects information about population, occupations, language, religion, community, and other characteristics. Information itself can be useful, but colonial governments did not merely observe society; they often placed complex and changing identities into fixed official categories. These categories could influence taxation, recruitment, representation, legal treatment, and policing. In this way, knowledge became connected with administrative power. Option A is correct because classification helped the state identify, organise, and govern populations. Option B is wrong because a census does not end all taxes; population information may even assist tax administration. Option C is wrong because although counting uses mathematics, colonial census had political and administrative effects beyond a classroom exercise. Option D is wrong because census-taking did not itself end colonial rule. It could sometimes help later communities understand inequality, but its immediate colonial purpose was governance. Memory cue: whoever classifies people may gain power to govern them; census is knowledge linked to administration.