What was the most important effect of white settlement on Maasai pastoralists?

Correct answer: Loss of the best grazing areas

Direct answer: Option A is correct. White settlement and colonial expansion took control of some of the most fertile and useful grazing lands. Maasai pastoralists therefore lost access to important pastures and water routes, making movement and herd management more difficult. Option A directly describes this major effect. Option B is wrong because land loss and restrictions did not cause all animals to increase. Option C is absurd and unrelated: a navy has no connection with pastoral work. Option D is wrong because restrictions generally reduced or controlled seasonal movement rather than expanding it freely. The reasoning is simple: settlement occupied land, less common grazing land remained, and pastoral life became more difficult. Exam cue: colonial settlement usually means land alienation and restricted pasture for pastoralists.