MCQ “Rinderpest, or the Cattle Plague”


Rinderpest, or the Cattle Plague

1. When did the rinderpest disease arrive in Africa?  

   A) Late 1870s  

   B) Late 1880s  

   C) Early 1900s  

   D) Mid-1860s  

   Answer: B) Late 1880s

2. How was the rinderpest disease introduced to Africa?  

   A) Through European colonizers  

   B) Via infected cattle imported from British Asia to feed Italian soldiers in Eritrea  

   C) By African tribal migration  

   D) Through contaminated water sources  

   Answer: B) Via infected cattle imported from British Asia to feed Italian soldiers in Eritrea

3. What percentage of Africa’s cattle population was killed by rinderpest?  

   A) 50%  

   B) 75%  

   C) 90%  

   D) 30%  

   Answer: C) 90%

4. What was one of the major impacts of the rinderpest outbreak on African societies?  

   A) Increase in cattle prices  

   B) Economic prosperity in rural areas  

   C) Destruction of livelihoods, forcing people into the labor market  

   D) Growth of traditional farming practices  

   Answer: C) Destruction of livelihoods, forcing people into the labor market

5. How did colonial powers benefit from the rinderpest epidemic?  

   A) By importing more cattle from Asia  

   B) By monopolizing scarce cattle resources and strengthening control over African societies  

   C) By establishing new cattle farms  

   D) By providing free cattle to affected communities  

   Answer: B) By monopolizing scarce cattle resources and strengthening control over African societies

6. Which European country’s soldiers were initially fed using the infected cattle that carried rinderpest to Africa?  

   A) France  

   B) Britain  

   C) Germany  

   D) Italy  

   Answer: D) Italy

7. What role did rinderpest play in European colonization efforts in Africa?  

   A) It helped Africans resist colonization  

   B) It weakened African resistance, making it easier for colonizers to conquer and control the region  

   C) It created alliances between African tribes and Europeans  

   D) It led to the end of European colonization in Africa  

   Answer: B) It weakened African resistance, making it easier for colonizers to conquer and control the region

8. Which of the following was NOT a consequence of the rinderpest epidemic in Africa?  

   A) Forced migration of African tribes  

   B) Increase in agricultural production  

   C) Loss of livestock-dependent livelihoods  

   D) Expansion of colonial plantations and mines  

   Answer: B) Increase in agricultural production

9. How did the European colonizers exploit the situation caused by rinderpest?  

   A) By importing more cattle to support local farmers  

   B) By encouraging traditional farming practices  

   C) By using food scarcity to recruit labor for mines and plantations  

   D) By reducing taxes on African farmers  

   Answer: C) By using food scarcity to recruit labor for mines and plantations

10. What term can best describe the rinderpest’s spread across Africa?  

    A) Gradual  

    B) Controlled  

    C) Like a forest fire  

    D) Limited to specific regions  

    Answer: C) Like a forest fire


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *