SSC MTS EXAM

Detailed explanation-1: -In the Belgian-controlled Congo Free State, Leopold carried out a massive plunder of the region’s resources from 1885 to 1908. He designed policies to loot its rubber, brutalized the people, and ultimately slashed the population by 50 percent (some 10 million people).

Detailed explanation-2: -The Rubber Industry. In the 1890’s, rubber saw a major price boom with the invention of inflatable rubber bicycle tubes and the growing popularity of the automobile. This led to massive profits for the Belgian colonists in the Congo and increased exploitation of the native population.