Pastoralists in Modern India and Africa

Pastoralists in the Modern World

• Pastoralists are people who don't live in one place, but move to earn a living.
• They move with their herds of goats, sheep, camels or cattle.
• Nomadic pastoralists are rarely included in history textbooks, as if their lives don't matter.
• In many parts of India and Africa, pastoralism is important.
• Colonialism impacted their lives and how they cope with modern pressures.
• The chapter focuses first on India, and then on Africa.

Pastoral Nomads and their Movements

• Gujjar Bakarwals are goat and sheep herders in Jammu and Kashmir.
• They traditionally migrated to areas for pasture.
• They move between summer and winter grazing grounds.
• Winter grazing is in the Siwalik foothills with dry scrub forests.
• Summer grazing is in the higher, lush green Kashmir Valley.
• Gaddi shepherds of Himachal Pradesh also moved seasonally.
• They wintered in the Siwalik hills and summered in Lahul and Spiti.
• Gujjar cattle herders in Garhwal and Kumaon moved between dry forests and high mountain meadows (bugyals).

On the Plateaus, Plains and Deserts

• Dhangars were an important pastoral community in Maharashtra, India.
• Their population was estimated at 467,000 in the early twentieth century.
• They moved to the central plateau of Maharashtra during the monsoon.
• They grazed in the region's dry scrub forests, harvesting crops and moving to Konkan (high rainfall area).
• Raikas in Rajasthan moved seasonally, grazing their camels in the Thar desert.

Pastoralism in Africa

• Pastoralism is widespread in Africa.
• Millions depend on it for livelihood.
• Communities include Bedouins, Berbers, Maasai, Somali, Boran, and Turkana, among others.
• They live in semi-arid grasslands and arid deserts.
• Some combine pastoralism with agriculture and trade.
• The Maasai are a prominent example, though their lives have changed due to colonialism and post-colonial pressures.

Colonial Rule and Pastoral Life

• Colonial governments wanted to transform grazing lands into cultivated lands.
• This was to increase revenue from land tax.
• New forest acts were created, restricting pastoralist movement to areas permitted by them.
• Pastoralists were sometimes declared 'Criminal Tribes'.
• They were sometimes restricted to village settlements.
• Grazing taxes were imposed.
• These pressures and changes impacted pastoral communities across the globe.

How Did these Changes Affect the Lives of Pastoralists?

• Pastures were reduced.
• Movement was regulated.
• Land revenues increased.
• Agricultural stock declined.

Explore the unique lifestyles and migratory patterns of pastoralists in contemporary India and Africa. This quiz covers the impact of colonialism and modern pressures on nomadic communities, focusing on groups like the Gujjar Bakarwals and Gaddi shepherds. Test your knowledge about their seasonal movements and cultural significance.