Which colonial policy pushed pastoralists towards settled life?

Correct answer: Control over nomadic movement

The direct answer is A: control over nomadic movement. Pastoralists depend on moving from place to place because grass, water, and seasonal conditions change. Colonial authorities introduced rules that restricted travel, required permits, marked borders, and sometimes identified nomadic communities as suspicious. When movement became difficult, pastoralists could not follow their usual grazing routes. Some therefore settled in one place or combined herding with cultivation. Option A is correct because restricting movement directly pushed people toward a more settled life. Option B is wrong because expansion of free grazing would support nomadism, not weaken it. Option C is wrong because opening all forests would give pastoralists more freedom. Option D is wrong because ending taxes would remove one pressure rather than push people into settlement. The reasoning is: movement controlled → seasonal grazing disrupted → nomadic livelihood weakened → settlement became more necessary. Exam cue: restrictions on movement often lead to settled life.