Why could language policy become symbolic power of colonial rule?

Colonial language became linked with administration education and prestige

Language can become a powerful instrument of colonial rule because it may control access to administration, education, employment, and social status. When the language of the ruling power is made necessary for official work or advanced schooling, people who know it may receive greater opportunities. Those who do not know it may be excluded or placed at a disadvantage.

Option D is correct because colonial language was often connected with government offices, schools, examinations, and prestige. This made language more than a means of communication; it became a sign of authority and social privilege. The other choices are incorrect because language did affect administration, local languages were not always dominant, and learning a colonial language did not automatically bring freedom. It could instead strengthen cultural control.

This is a Class 10 General Knowledge question. Chapter: World History. Topic: Colonization and Decolonization.