How does the history of Maasai pastoralists show the relation among state, society and environment?

Correct answer: The state controlled land, social inequality changed and environmental crisis deepened

The history of the Maasai shows that pastoral life was shaped by forces operating at several levels. States and colonial authorities could control or divide land, restrict movement, and reserve grazing areas for other uses. These changes affected different social groups unequally, because wealthy and poor pastoralists had unequal animals, contacts, and resources. Drought and other environmental pressures then made survival more difficult.

Option A is correct because it connects state control of land, changing social inequality, and environmental crisis. The other choices are either opposite to the historical pattern or too narrow. The Maasai example is useful because it shows that environmental hardship is not separate from politics and society; rules about land and power can intensify its effects.