What was the role of classification in colonial policy against pastoralists?

Correct answer: Making rule easier by categorizing communities, land and forests

The direct answer is A: classification made colonial rule easier by placing communities, land and forests into official categories. Classification means arranging different people and resources into named groups. Colonial officials used such categories to decide who could use land, where grazing was allowed, which forests were protected, and how taxes or permits would work. Step by step, they first described communities and land, then fixed rules for each category, and finally used those rules to control pastoral movement and resources. Option A is correct because categorisation increased administrative control. Option B is wrong because classification did not give everyone equal rights; it often created unequal restrictions. Option C is wrong because colonial policy usually reduced common grazing instead of declaring all land common pasture. Option D is wrong because classification helped taxation and did not make collection impossible. Memory cue: in colonial history, classification usually means control through categories.