Describe Briefly the Effects of Rinderpest in Africa in the 1890s.

Rinderpest was a disease of cattle plague spreading fastly in Africa in the 1880s. It had terrible impact on the livelihood and the local economy in Africa.

This disease was carried by the infected cattlewhich were imported from the British Asia in order to feed the Italian soldiers who were deputed for invading Eritrea in the east Africa.

Rinderpest spread from the east Africa to the West Africa and reached the Atlantic coast of Africa in the year 1892 and the southernmost tip of Africa (the Cape) in 1897.

Along the way from East to West Africa this rinderpest killed 90% of the cattle which destroyed the livelihoods of the Africans.

Now the leftover or scarce cattle was monopolized by the planters, mine owners and the colonial governments. This incident helped the European powers to conquer and subdue Africa and easily forced the Africans into the labour market.

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