The passage explicitly mentions that "the degree of women participation in politics was yet much limited when compared to that of men." This statement indicates that, during the pre-colonial era, women's involvement in politics was not on an equal basis with men. The language used in the passage suggests a restricted or limited extent of women's participation in comparison to men. Therefore, option C, "To a limited extent," accurately reflects the information provided in the passage regarding the level of women's participation in politics during that historical period.