What is cattle plague

In the 1980's, the livelihood and the local economy of people of Africa was greatly disturbed by the fast spreading disease of the Cattle plague, which was also known as Rinderpest. Until the advent of Rinderpest, Africa was a land of abundance, with vast resources of land and minerals. Land and livestock were aplenty, and the Africans who possessed them did not have to work. At this point of time the Europeans entered Africa hoping to establish plantations and dig mines. But the Europeans faced a shortage of labor, as the landed Africans were unwilling to work.
Then came Rinderpest, the devastating cattle disease. It was carried by infected cattle imported from British Asia. Rinderpest entered Africa in the east and spread westward reaching the Africa’s Atlantic coast by 1892. 90% of the cattle perished. The once landed Africans were forced into labor. Rinderpest enabled European colonizers to conquer and subdue Africa.