Revision notes for class 9 cbse, Summaries of History

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HISTORY

Class 9

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Chapter 5 : Pastoralists in the Modern World

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Pastoralists in the Modern World Nomadic pastoralists are people who do not live at one place but move from one place to the other in order to find pastures for their cattle and to earn their living.

Pastoralists in India

In India, many pastoralist communities move from place to place in order to find pastures for their cattle. These pastoral communities also sell grains, meat, and hides. Some major pastoral communities in the mountains of India are Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir

• The Gujjar Bakarwals are herders of goat and sheep. During the winter when the Himalayas are covered with snow, they live in the foothills of the Siwalik ranges. The dry scrubs provide food for their cattle.
• When the summer begins in April, the Gujjar Bakarwals move northwards to the Kashmir valley. As the snow melts, the mountains are covered with lush green grass which provides nutritious forage for their cattle. With the onset of winter, the Gujjar Bakarwals again travel down to the low hills of the Himalayas. Gaddi Shepherds of Himachal Pradesh
• The Gaddi shepherds also follow the same movement as that of the Gujjar Bakarwals. They spend winter with their cattle in the foothills of the Sewali’s. When the snow melts, they move northwards into Lahaul and Spiti.
• They then move further to the high mountains in order to find pasturelands for their cattle. They begin retreating in September.

The Goras , the Kurumas and the Kurubas in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh rear sheep and goat and sell woven blankets. These pastoral communities move from the dry lands to the coastal communities based on the onset of the monsoon. These communities leave the area in the rainy season. The Banjaras are a nomadic group which live in the villages of Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The Banjaras move with their cattle over long distances in search of pasturelands. They also sell plough cattle and other goods to villagers in exchange for grain and fodder. The Raikas live in the deserts of Rajasthan. Because the desert lands cannot be extensively cultivated, the Raikas combine cultivation with pastoralism. They stay in their villages during the monsoon as grass is available for their cattle. In October, they move out in search of pasture and water and return to their villages the next year during the monsoon. Different groups of Raikas herd camels, goats and sheep. The pastoralists move from one place to the other based on several factors. They calculate the timings of their movements. They have to move through different terrains and they establish relations with the farmers while moving. They also combine a range of various activities such as trade, herding and cultivation to make a living. Pastoralists under the Colonial Rule The lives of the pastoralists changed considerably under the colonial rule in the following ways:

• Because the Government wanted to transform all grazing lands into the agricultural lands to increase their revenues, the pastoralist lands were changed to agricultural lands. Thus,

the pastoralist lands shrank considerably.

• Various Forest Acts were passed in the nineteenth century. These Acts declared many forests as reserved forests. Further, the pastoralists had to take permission from the Government to graze their cattle in the protected forests. The movements of the pastoral communities were thus restricted, regulated and watched over. They could not spend more than the stipulated number of days which were granted to them in the forests.
• The British administrators were suspicious of nomadic pastoralists. They wanted these communities to settle at one place and take up agriculture. Nomads came to be regarded as criminals. By the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, the nomadic communities came to be regarded as criminals.
• The British Government taxed almost every commodity in order to increase its revenues. So, taxes were imposed even on cattle. Pastoralists had to pay taxes on every animal which grazed in the pastures. The pastoralists coped with the changes. While some reduced the number of cattle which they owned, some discovered new grazing lands. Rich pastoralists brought lands and settled at one place. However, many poor pastoralists got into the vicious cycle of debt and lost their cattle.

Pastoralism in Africa

In Africa, at present, more than 22 million of African population depend on pastoral activity for earning their livelihood. Some pastoral communities are the Bedouins, Maasai, Somali, Turkana, and Berbers. Members of these communities raise their cattle for selling milk, wool and hides. They also combine pastoral activities with cultivation. The Maasai Pastoralists The Maasai pastoralists mainly live in East Africa. They mostly inhabit the parts of Tanzania and Kenya. The following problems have been faced by the Maasai pastoralists:

• The Maasai pastoralists face continuous problems of grazing lands. European imperial powers divided Maasailand between England and Germany. The grazing lands were taken over by the colonists. Thus, the Maasai lost more than half of their grazing lands.
• The British Government encouraged local farming communities to expand cultivation. Thus, the pastoral lands were changed to agricultural fields.
• Large patches of pastoral lands were also changed to reserves such as Maasai Mara and

authority of the elders and the warriors.

• The chiefs appointed by the British accumulated wealth over time. They began to lend money, started trading and settled in towns. The families of the chiefs stayed behind in the villages to look after cattle. This helped them to survive droughts and famines.
• However, the poor pastoralists had no money and only their cattle to live on. During droughts, they almost lost everything. They then moved to the towns in search of work. Many of them got regular work in road and building construction.
• The division of the Maasai communities into the rich and the poor and the disturbing of the traditional differences based on age were two social changes which occurred in the Maasai communities during the colonial rule.

Question 6. Nomads are the people: (a) who do not live at one place but move from one to another to earn their living. (b) who temporary shift from one place to another. (c) who live at one place and move from place to place to earn their living. (d) who are very brave. Question 7. Which tribe did not evolve pastoral activity in South Africa? (a) Massai (b) Gonds (c) Boran (d) Turkene Question 8.Which tribe combined cultivators with pastoralism in India? (a) Raikas (b) Maru (c) Gujjars (d) Gaddi Question 9. What is referred as Bhabar? (a) A wet forest area below the foothills of Garhwal and Kumaun. (b) A moderate area having plenty of vegetation. (c) A dry area which is sparsely populated. (d) A dry forest area below the foothills of Garhwal and Kamaun. Question 10. Gaddi Shepherds came down from the high meadow in: (a) September (b) February (c) October (d) Mid of October. Question 11. For what Maru tribe is well known? (a) For plantation agriculture (b) For sheep rearing (c) For camel herding (d) For cyclic seasonal movement Question 12. The population of Dhangars pastoral community in Maharashtra is about:

(a) 467500 (b) 476500 (c) 476500 (d) 467000 Question 13. The Maru Raikas herded…...? (a) Camels (b) Sheep (c) Goats (d) All Question 14. The Banjaras were not found in ….? (a) Punjab (b) Delhi (c) Rajasthan (d) Maharashtra Question 15. The warriors consisted of ___? (a) Elder people (b) Younger people (c) Children (d) Healthy people Very Short:

1. Name the regions of the cyclic movement of Kurumas and Kurubas.
2. Which Pastoralist nomads live in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh?
3. Why were the British officials suspicious of the nomadic people? Give one reason..
4. How did the Gaddis earn their livelihood?
5. What are bugyals?
6. Who are Gujjar Bakarwals?
7. What is Bhabhar?
8. Who were Bhotiyas, Sherpas and Kinnauris?
9. Name the most important pastoral community of Maharashtra
10. Why were the Dhangars welcomed by the Konkani peasants?

10.(a) September 11.(c) For camel herding 12.(d) 467000 13.(a) Camels 14.(b) Delhi 15.(b) Younger people Very Short Answer:

1. The Kurumas and Kurubas lived in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In the dry season they moved near the coast and left when the rains came.
2. The pastoralist nomads who lived in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh were: (a) The Gollas. (b) Kurumas and Kurubas.
3. The British officials were suspicious of the nomadic people because they distrusted mobile craftmen and traders who sold their goods in villages, and pastoralists who changed their places or residence every season. They were considered as criminals.
4. They sold milk, ghee and other products.
5. Bugyals are vast natural pastures on the high mountains, about 12,000 feet. After April the entire mountainside is covered with a variety of grasses, roots and herbs. By monsoon these pastures are covered with thick vegetation and wild flowers.
6. Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir are herders of goat and sheep.
7. It is a dry forested area in the foothills of Garwhal and Kumaun.
8. They were the pastoral communities of the Himalayas.
9. Dhangars were an important pastoral community of Maharashtra.
10. After the kharif crops were harvested, the field had to be fertilised for the rabi crops. Dhangar flocks manured the fields and fed on the stubble. Dhangars were also given supplies of rice which they supplied to the plateau where grain was scarce. Short Answer: Ans: 1. The three factors which the pastoral groups have to consider to sustain their life are: (a) They have to judge how long the herds could stay at one place and know where they could find water and pastures. (b) They had to calculate the timing of their movement and had to move through different territories.

(c) They had to set up relationship with the farmers, on the way, so that herds could graze in the harvested fields and manure the soil. They combined number of activities like cultivation, herding, and trade to sustain themselves. Ans: 2. Three livelihood practices adopted by the pastoralists in the 20th century were as follows: (a) Richer pastoralists started buying land and settling down, giving up their nomadic life. (b) Some became settled peasants cultivating land. (c) Others took to trnding. Ans: 3. The pastoralists have been compelled to change their movement in modern times. After 1947, the camel and sheep herding Raikas could no longer move into Sindh and graze their animals on the banks of Indus. The new political boundaries between Indian & Pakistan stopped their movement. In recent years, they have been migrating to Haryana where sheep could graze on agricultural land, after harvests are cut. Ans: 4. Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir are herders of goat and sheep. They move between their winter and summer grounds. In winters when the ground is covered with snow, they live with their herds in the Siwalik range. The herds feed on the dry scrub forests, By April, they start moving to their summer grazing grounds. After crossing the Pir Panjal passes they reach the Kashmir valley. With the onset of summer, the snow has melted, and the valley is covered with variety of flowers and grasses. They provide nutritious forage for the animals. By the end of September they come back to their winter homes in the Siwalik. Ans: 5. The Gujjar cattle herders live in Garhwal and Kumaon. In the winter, they come to the dry forest of the Bhabhar and go up to the high meadows-the bugyals-in summer. Gujjars are exclusively a pastoralist tribe in the hills, where they do not cultivate anything. Buffaloes are the main wealth of the Gujjars. They live near the boundary of the forests and the mainstay of their existence is the sale of milk, ghee and other products. The men graze the cattle. The women go - to the markets every morning, with little earthen pots filled with milk, butter milk and ghee. During the hot weather they move their herds to the upper ranges where the buffaloes enjoy the weather. Ans: 6. The Dhangars were an important pastoral community of Maharashtra. Most of them were shepherds, some were blanket weavers and others were buffalo herders. They were continuously on the move in search of pasture for their cattle. Ans: 7. (a) The various pastoral groups were forced to live in special reserves. They were not allowed to move their stock without special permits which were not easy to get. Those who defied the rules were severely punished. (b) Pastoralists were not allowed to enter the markets area of the whites. (c) In many regions, they were prohibited from participating in any trading activity. Thus, the restrictions imposed on the pastoralists adversely affected their pastoral and trading activities.

(a) Some pastoralists reduced the number of cattle because there were not enough pastures to feed large numbers. When pastureland in one place was closed to them, they changed the direction of their movement and combined pastoral activity with other forms of trade. (b) Some pastoralists found new pastures. (c) They exert political pressure on the government for relief, subsidy and other forms of support and demand a right in the management of forests and water resources. (d) Some rich pastoralists gave up their nomadic habits, purchased land and started leading a settled life. (e) Some became settled peasants cultivating land. Some borrowed money from the moneylenders to survive. Ans: 5. Pastoralists managed to cope with the changes in many ways. (a) Some pastoralists reduced the number of cattle because there were not enough pastures to feed large numbers. When pastureland in one place was closed to them, they changed the direction of their movement and combined pastoral activity with other forms of trade. (b) Some pastoralists found new pastures. (c) They exert political pressure on the government for relief, subsidy and other forms of support and demand a right in the management of forests and water resources. (d) Some rich pastoralists gave up their nomadic habits, purchased land and started leading a settled life. (e) Some became settled peasants cultivating land. Some borrowed money from the moneylenders to survive.