What administrative logic lay behind the colonial attempt to settle pastoralists?

Correct answer: Settled populations were easier to record, tax and monitor

The direct answer is A: settled populations were easier for the colonial administration to record, tax and monitor. Nomadic pastoralists moved across places, so officials found it difficult to keep permanent records of people, animals and income. If pastoralists were made to settle, the government could identify households, count taxable property, collect revenue at a fixed place and supervise daily activities more easily. Option A is correct because it gives the administrative logic behind settlement. Option B is wrong: settled people did not become permanently tax-free; settlement often made taxation easier. Option C is wrong because nomadic people were not generally revenue officers; they were communities engaged in pastoral work. Option D is wrong because pastoralism directly affected administration through land use, taxes, permits and movement rules. Settlement was therefore not simply a social suggestion; it was connected to state control and revenue collection. Memory cue: fixed residence makes counting, taxing and watching easier.