Explanation
Correct answer: C.
Choice C is the best answer. The fact that Henry VIII commissioned a survey of church holdings just before enacting the Dissolution of the Monasteries suggests that he was interested in the potential profits from claiming their assets. This supports the historians’ assertion.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect. This choice describes a potential effect of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The decrease in the proportion of monks in England isn’t relevant to the question of Henry VIII’s motivations.
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect. Details about how the monks were treated during the dissolution don’t address Henry VIII’s motivations for enacting the policy in the first place. That the monks could keep the content of their cells (their rooms) and sell off the timber they’d harvested has no impact on the value of the monasteries’ estates—their land holdings.
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect. This choice mentions one impact that the Dissolution of the Monasteries contributed to, two years after it happened. But it doesn’t help explain why Henry VIII might have wanted to enact the policy in the first place.