Class 9 NCERT - Solved Question Answers Documents

 Page 1


produce. It was seen as ‘wasteland’ 
that needed to be brought 
under cultivation. By expanding  
cultivation, the colonial government 
would increase its revenue collection. 
It could at the same time produce 
more jute, cotton, wheat and 
other agricultural produce that 
were required in England. Hence,  
Wasteland Rules were enacted in the 
various parts of the country from the 
mid-nineteenth century. By these 
rules, uncultivated lands were taken 
over from the pastoralists and given 
to select individuals. These individuals 
were encouraged to settle these lands.
   These lands were actually grazing 
tracts used regularly by pastoralists. 
So expansion of cultivation meant the 
decline of pastures and a problem for 
pastoralists.
 • Forest Act:  By the mid-nineteenth 
century, various Forest Acts were 
being enacted in different provinces. 
Through these Acts, some forests 
which produced commercially valuable 
timber like deodar or sal, were declared 
‘Reserved’. No pastoralist was allowed 
access to these forests. Other forests 
were classified as ‘Protected’. In these, 
some customary grazing rights of 
pastoralists were granted but their 
movements were severely restricted.
   These Forest Acts changed the lives 
of pastoralists. They were prevented 
from entering many forests that had 
earlier provided valuable forage for 
their cattle. Even in the areas they 
were allowed entry, their movements 
were regulated.
 • Criminal Tribes Act: The British 
officials had no faith in nomadic people. 
They distrusted mobile craftsmen and 
traders who hawked their goods in 
villages and pastoralists who changed 
their places of residence every season. 
The colonial  government wanted 
to rule over a settled population. 
They wanted the rural people to 
live in villages, in fixed places with 
fixed rights on particular  fields. 
Such population was easy to identify 
and control. Therefore, they passed 
the Criminal Tribes Act in 1871 
under which many communities of 
craftsmen, traders and pastoralists 
were classified as Criminal Tribes.
   Once this Act came into force, these 
communities were expected to live 
only in notified village settlements. 
They were not allowed to move out 
without a permit.
 • Grazing Tax:  In order to expand 
its revenue income, grazing tax was 
introduced in most pastoral tracts of 
India in the mid-nineteenth century. 
Henceforth, pastoralists had to pay 
tax on every animal they grazed on 
the pastures. Not only this, they had 
to seek a permit to enter a grazing 
area to graze their cattle.
   Grazing Tax proved to be an additional 
burden on the poor pastoralists.
 Q3. Give reasons to explain why the 
Maasai community lost their grazing 
lands.
 Ans. The Maasai community is found in 
East Africa, Southern Kenya and 
Tanzania. This community has faced 
the continuous loss of its grazing 
lands. Let’s see why this happened:
 (i) Before colonial times, Maasai land 
stretched over a vast area from North 
Kenya to the steppes of northern 
Tanzania. In the late 19th century, 
European imperial powers scrambled 
for territorial possessions in Africa, 
slicing up the region into different 
colonies. In 1885, Maasai land was 
cut into half with an international 
boundary between British Kenya and 
German Tanganyika. Subsequently, 
the best grazing lands were gradually 
taken over for White settlement and 
the Maasai were pushed into a small 
area in South Kenya and North 
Tanzania.
Page 2


produce. It was seen as ‘wasteland’ 
that needed to be brought 
under cultivation. By expanding  
cultivation, the colonial government 
would increase its revenue collection. 
It could at the same time produce 
more jute, cotton, wheat and 
other agricultural produce that 
were required in England. Hence,  
Wasteland Rules were enacted in the 
various parts of the country from the 
mid-nineteenth century. By these 
rules, uncultivated lands were taken 
over from the pastoralists and given 
to select individuals. These individuals 
were encouraged to settle these lands.
   These lands were actually grazing 
tracts used regularly by pastoralists. 
So expansion of cultivation meant the 
decline of pastures and a problem for 
pastoralists.
 • Forest Act:  By the mid-nineteenth 
century, various Forest Acts were 
being enacted in different provinces. 
Through these Acts, some forests 
which produced commercially valuable 
timber like deodar or sal, were declared 
‘Reserved’. No pastoralist was allowed 
access to these forests. Other forests 
were classified as ‘Protected’. In these, 
some customary grazing rights of 
pastoralists were granted but their 
movements were severely restricted.
   These Forest Acts changed the lives 
of pastoralists. They were prevented 
from entering many forests that had 
earlier provided valuable forage for 
their cattle. Even in the areas they 
were allowed entry, their movements 
were regulated.
 • Criminal Tribes Act: The British 
officials had no faith in nomadic people. 
They distrusted mobile craftsmen and 
traders who hawked their goods in 
villages and pastoralists who changed 
their places of residence every season. 
The colonial  government wanted 
to rule over a settled population. 
They wanted the rural people to 
live in villages, in fixed places with 
fixed rights on particular  fields. 
Such population was easy to identify 
and control. Therefore, they passed 
the Criminal Tribes Act in 1871 
under which many communities of 
craftsmen, traders and pastoralists 
were classified as Criminal Tribes.
   Once this Act came into force, these 
communities were expected to live 
only in notified village settlements. 
They were not allowed to move out 
without a permit.
 • Grazing Tax:  In order to expand 
its revenue income, grazing tax was 
introduced in most pastoral tracts of 
India in the mid-nineteenth century. 
Henceforth, pastoralists had to pay 
tax on every animal they grazed on 
the pastures. Not only this, they had 
to seek a permit to enter a grazing 
area to graze their cattle.
   Grazing Tax proved to be an additional 
burden on the poor pastoralists.
 Q3. Give reasons to explain why the 
Maasai community lost their grazing 
lands.
 Ans. The Maasai community is found in 
East Africa, Southern Kenya and 
Tanzania. This community has faced 
the continuous loss of its grazing 
lands. Let’s see why this happened:
 (i) Before colonial times, Maasai land 
stretched over a vast area from North 
Kenya to the steppes of northern 
Tanzania. In the late 19th century, 
European imperial powers scrambled 
for territorial possessions in Africa, 
slicing up the region into different 
colonies. In 1885, Maasai land was 
cut into half with an international 
boundary between British Kenya and 
German Tanganyika. Subsequently, 
the best grazing lands were gradually 
taken over for White settlement and 
the Maasai were pushed into a small 
area in South Kenya and North 
Tanzania.
 (ii) From the late 19th century, the 
British colonial government in East 
Africa encouraged local peasants to 
expand cultivation. As cultivation 
expanded, pasture lands were turned 
into cultivable fields.
 (iii) Large areas of grazing land were also 
turned into game reserves like the 
Maasai Mara and Samburu National 
Park in Kenya and Serengeti Park 
in Tanzania. Pastoralists were not 
allowed to enter these reserves. They 
could neither hunt animals nor graze 
their cattle herds in these areas. Very 
often these reserves were in areas 
that had traditionally been regular 
grazing grounds for Maasai herds. The 
Serengeti National Park, for instance, 
was created over 14,760 km of Maasai 
grazing land.
 Q4. There are many similarities in the 
way in which the modern world 
forced changes in the lives of pastoral 
communities in India and East Africa 
Write about any two examples of 
changes which were similar for Indian 
pastoralists and the Maasai herders.
 Ans. Both India and East Africa were under 
the control of the British imperialistic 
powers. Hence, both of them were 
exploited in the same pattern. We can 
give here two examples of changes 
which were similar for the pastoral 
communities of both the countries:
 (i) The pastoral communities of both 
the places gradually lost their grazing 
lands because the colonial government 
wanted to expand cultivation. In 
India, the uncultivated land was 
seen as wasteland that needed to 
be brought under cultivation. Hence, 
waste land rules were enacted in 
various parts of the country. By these 
rules uncultivated lands were taken 
over and given to select individuals. 
These individuals were encouraged to 
settle these lands. In most areas, the 
lands taken over were actually grazing 
tracts used regularly by pastoralists. 
Similarly in East Africa the grazing 
lands of the Maasai were gradually 
taken over by the British colonial 
government to expand cultivation. As 
cultivation expanded, Maasai pasture 
lands were turned into cultivable fields.
 (ii) Both Indian pastoralists and the 
Maasai herders were nomadic and 
viewed with suspicion by the British 
colonial government. They were not 
allowed to move out without a permit. 
They were forced to live within the 
confines of special reserves.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SOLVED
 I. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Nomadic tribes need to move from one 
place to another because of—
 (a)  seasonal changes 
 (b) their mobile nature
 (c) their poor background
 (d) all of the above
2. Dhangars are an important pastoral 
community of which state?
 (a) Himachal Pradesh 
 (b )  Maharashtra
 (c) Jammu and Kashmir 
 (d) Rajasthan 
3. The life of pastoralists greatly changed 
under colonial rule. What is/are this/
these change/changes?
 (a) Their grazing grounds shrank.
 (b) Their movements were regulated.
 (c) They had to pay increased revenue. 
 (d) All of the above
4. When was the Criminal Tribes Act 
passed?
 (a) In 1889 (b) In 1871
 (c) In 1878 (d) In 1870
5. Why did the colonial government 
introduce the Grazing Tax in the mid- 
19th century? 
Page 3


produce. It was seen as ‘wasteland’ 
that needed to be brought 
under cultivation. By expanding  
cultivation, the colonial government 
would increase its revenue collection. 
It could at the same time produce 
more jute, cotton, wheat and 
other agricultural produce that 
were required in England. Hence,  
Wasteland Rules were enacted in the 
various parts of the country from the 
mid-nineteenth century. By these 
rules, uncultivated lands were taken 
over from the pastoralists and given 
to select individuals. These individuals 
were encouraged to settle these lands.
   These lands were actually grazing 
tracts used regularly by pastoralists. 
So expansion of cultivation meant the 
decline of pastures and a problem for 
pastoralists.
 • Forest Act:  By the mid-nineteenth 
century, various Forest Acts were 
being enacted in different provinces. 
Through these Acts, some forests 
which produced commercially valuable 
timber like deodar or sal, were declared 
‘Reserved’. No pastoralist was allowed 
access to these forests. Other forests 
were classified as ‘Protected’. In these, 
some customary grazing rights of 
pastoralists were granted but their 
movements were severely restricted.
   These Forest Acts changed the lives 
of pastoralists. They were prevented 
from entering many forests that had 
earlier provided valuable forage for 
their cattle. Even in the areas they 
were allowed entry, their movements 
were regulated.
 • Criminal Tribes Act: The British 
officials had no faith in nomadic people. 
They distrusted mobile craftsmen and 
traders who hawked their goods in 
villages and pastoralists who changed 
their places of residence every season. 
The colonial  government wanted 
to rule over a settled population. 
They wanted the rural people to 
live in villages, in fixed places with 
fixed rights on particular  fields. 
Such population was easy to identify 
and control. Therefore, they passed 
the Criminal Tribes Act in 1871 
under which many communities of 
craftsmen, traders and pastoralists 
were classified as Criminal Tribes.
   Once this Act came into force, these 
communities were expected to live 
only in notified village settlements. 
They were not allowed to move out 
without a permit.
 • Grazing Tax:  In order to expand 
its revenue income, grazing tax was 
introduced in most pastoral tracts of 
India in the mid-nineteenth century. 
Henceforth, pastoralists had to pay 
tax on every animal they grazed on 
the pastures. Not only this, they had 
to seek a permit to enter a grazing 
area to graze their cattle.
   Grazing Tax proved to be an additional 
burden on the poor pastoralists.
 Q3. Give reasons to explain why the 
Maasai community lost their grazing 
lands.
 Ans. The Maasai community is found in 
East Africa, Southern Kenya and 
Tanzania. This community has faced 
the continuous loss of its grazing 
lands. Let’s see why this happened:
 (i) Before colonial times, Maasai land 
stretched over a vast area from North 
Kenya to the steppes of northern 
Tanzania. In the late 19th century, 
European imperial powers scrambled 
for territorial possessions in Africa, 
slicing up the region into different 
colonies. In 1885, Maasai land was 
cut into half with an international 
boundary between British Kenya and 
German Tanganyika. Subsequently, 
the best grazing lands were gradually 
taken over for White settlement and 
the Maasai were pushed into a small 
area in South Kenya and North 
Tanzania.
 (ii) From the late 19th century, the 
British colonial government in East 
Africa encouraged local peasants to 
expand cultivation. As cultivation 
expanded, pasture lands were turned 
into cultivable fields.
 (iii) Large areas of grazing land were also 
turned into game reserves like the 
Maasai Mara and Samburu National 
Park in Kenya and Serengeti Park 
in Tanzania. Pastoralists were not 
allowed to enter these reserves. They 
could neither hunt animals nor graze 
their cattle herds in these areas. Very 
often these reserves were in areas 
that had traditionally been regular 
grazing grounds for Maasai herds. The 
Serengeti National Park, for instance, 
was created over 14,760 km of Maasai 
grazing land.
 Q4. There are many similarities in the 
way in which the modern world 
forced changes in the lives of pastoral 
communities in India and East Africa 
Write about any two examples of 
changes which were similar for Indian 
pastoralists and the Maasai herders.
 Ans. Both India and East Africa were under 
the control of the British imperialistic 
powers. Hence, both of them were 
exploited in the same pattern. We can 
give here two examples of changes 
which were similar for the pastoral 
communities of both the countries:
 (i) The pastoral communities of both 
the places gradually lost their grazing 
lands because the colonial government 
wanted to expand cultivation. In 
India, the uncultivated land was 
seen as wasteland that needed to 
be brought under cultivation. Hence, 
waste land rules were enacted in 
various parts of the country. By these 
rules uncultivated lands were taken 
over and given to select individuals. 
These individuals were encouraged to 
settle these lands. In most areas, the 
lands taken over were actually grazing 
tracts used regularly by pastoralists. 
Similarly in East Africa the grazing 
lands of the Maasai were gradually 
taken over by the British colonial 
government to expand cultivation. As 
cultivation expanded, Maasai pasture 
lands were turned into cultivable fields.
 (ii) Both Indian pastoralists and the 
Maasai herders were nomadic and 
viewed with suspicion by the British 
colonial government. They were not 
allowed to move out without a permit. 
They were forced to live within the 
confines of special reserves.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SOLVED
 I. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Nomadic tribes need to move from one 
place to another because of—
 (a)  seasonal changes 
 (b) their mobile nature
 (c) their poor background
 (d) all of the above
2. Dhangars are an important pastoral 
community of which state?
 (a) Himachal Pradesh 
 (b )  Maharashtra
 (c) Jammu and Kashmir 
 (d) Rajasthan 
3. The life of pastoralists greatly changed 
under colonial rule. What is/are this/
these change/changes?
 (a) Their grazing grounds shrank.
 (b) Their movements were regulated.
 (c) They had to pay increased revenue. 
 (d) All of the above
4. When was the Criminal Tribes Act 
passed?
 (a) In 1889 (b) In 1871
 (c) In 1878 (d) In 1870
5. Why did the colonial government 
introduce the Grazing Tax in the mid- 
19th century? 
 (a) To expand its revenue.
 (b) To ban cattle herder from entering 
grazing tracts.
 (c) Both (a) and (b).
 (d) None of the above
6. How many people in Africa are 
dependent on some form of pastoral 
activity for their livelihood?
 (a) Less than 22 million
 (b) Over 22 million
 (c) Over 12 million 
 (d) Less than 12 million
7. What percentage of the grazing lands 
did Maasai lose when European 
imperial powers divided Africa into 
different colonies? 
 (a) 50%  (b) 49%
 (c) 80%  (d) 60%
8. When did European imperial powers 
divide Africa into different colonies? 
 (a) In 1805 (b) In 1882
 (c) In 1885 (d) In 1815
9. Where is the Serengeti National Park 
located?
 (a) Kenya (b) Tanzania
 (c) Sudan (d) Zimbabwe
10. The word ‘Maasai’ is derived from the 
word ‘Maa’. ‘Maasai’ means—
 (a) My People 
 (b) Mother and People
 (c) Their People (d) Tribal People
11. Which of the following pastoral nomads 
is not found in the mountains?
 (a) Gaddi shepherds 
 (b) Raikas
 (c) Gujjar Bakarwals 
 (d) Bhotiyas
12. The settlement of Maru Raikas is known 
as—
 (a) Dhandi (b) Mandi
 (c) Mandap (d) Bugyal
13. Pushkar is a famous place in Rajasthan 
where ............... is held every year.
 (a) elephant fair (b) cattle fair
 (c) buffalo fair (d) camel fair
14. The Maasai cattle herders live primarily 
in—
 (a) East Africa (b) West Africa
 (c) South Africa (d) North Africa
15. The Maasai Mara is a National Park 
in—
 (a) Tanzania (b) Kenya
 (c) Sudan (d) South Africa
16. Wasteland Rules were enacted by the 
colonial officials in order to—
 (a) harass the pastoralists of India
 (b) uplift the condition of the Indian 
pastoralists
 (c) turn the uncultivated lands into 
cultivable lands
 (d) turn cultivable lands into forests
 Ans.  1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (d) 
 4. (b) 5. (c) 6. (b)
   7. (d) 8. (c) 9. (b) 
 10. (a) 11. (b) 12. (a)
   13. (d) 14. (a) 15. (b) 
 16. (c)
 II. Very Short Answer Type Questions
 Q1. Who are nomadic pastoralists?
 Ans. Nomadic pastoralists are people who 
do not live in one place but move 
with their herds of goats and sheep 
from one area to another to earn their 
living.
 Q2. Who are the Gujjar Bakarwals?
 Ans. The Gujjar Bakarwals belong to 
Jammu and Kashmir. They are great 
herders of goats and sheep.
 Q3.  What are Gujjar mandaps made of?
 Ans. Gujjar mandaps are made of ringal 
 — a hill bamboo  — and grass from the 
buggal — a vast meadow in the high 
mountains.
 Q4. What are bhabars?
 Ans. Bhabars are dry forested areas below 
the foothills of Garhwal and Kumaun.
 Q5. The life of pastoralists greatly change 
under the colonial rule. Mention two 
changes.
 Ans.  (i) Their grazing grounds shrank.
  (ii)  Their movements were regulated.
 Q6. What different activities were 
associated with Dhangars of 
Maharashtra?
Page 4


produce. It was seen as ‘wasteland’ 
that needed to be brought 
under cultivation. By expanding  
cultivation, the colonial government 
would increase its revenue collection. 
It could at the same time produce 
more jute, cotton, wheat and 
other agricultural produce that 
were required in England. Hence,  
Wasteland Rules were enacted in the 
various parts of the country from the 
mid-nineteenth century. By these 
rules, uncultivated lands were taken 
over from the pastoralists and given 
to select individuals. These individuals 
were encouraged to settle these lands.
   These lands were actually grazing 
tracts used regularly by pastoralists. 
So expansion of cultivation meant the 
decline of pastures and a problem for 
pastoralists.
 • Forest Act:  By the mid-nineteenth 
century, various Forest Acts were 
being enacted in different provinces. 
Through these Acts, some forests 
which produced commercially valuable 
timber like deodar or sal, were declared 
‘Reserved’. No pastoralist was allowed 
access to these forests. Other forests 
were classified as ‘Protected’. In these, 
some customary grazing rights of 
pastoralists were granted but their 
movements were severely restricted.
   These Forest Acts changed the lives 
of pastoralists. They were prevented 
from entering many forests that had 
earlier provided valuable forage for 
their cattle. Even in the areas they 
were allowed entry, their movements 
were regulated.
 • Criminal Tribes Act: The British 
officials had no faith in nomadic people. 
They distrusted mobile craftsmen and 
traders who hawked their goods in 
villages and pastoralists who changed 
their places of residence every season. 
The colonial  government wanted 
to rule over a settled population. 
They wanted the rural people to 
live in villages, in fixed places with 
fixed rights on particular  fields. 
Such population was easy to identify 
and control. Therefore, they passed 
the Criminal Tribes Act in 1871 
under which many communities of 
craftsmen, traders and pastoralists 
were classified as Criminal Tribes.
   Once this Act came into force, these 
communities were expected to live 
only in notified village settlements. 
They were not allowed to move out 
without a permit.
 • Grazing Tax:  In order to expand 
its revenue income, grazing tax was 
introduced in most pastoral tracts of 
India in the mid-nineteenth century. 
Henceforth, pastoralists had to pay 
tax on every animal they grazed on 
the pastures. Not only this, they had 
to seek a permit to enter a grazing 
area to graze their cattle.
   Grazing Tax proved to be an additional 
burden on the poor pastoralists.
 Q3. Give reasons to explain why the 
Maasai community lost their grazing 
lands.
 Ans. The Maasai community is found in 
East Africa, Southern Kenya and 
Tanzania. This community has faced 
the continuous loss of its grazing 
lands. Let’s see why this happened:
 (i) Before colonial times, Maasai land 
stretched over a vast area from North 
Kenya to the steppes of northern 
Tanzania. In the late 19th century, 
European imperial powers scrambled 
for territorial possessions in Africa, 
slicing up the region into different 
colonies. In 1885, Maasai land was 
cut into half with an international 
boundary between British Kenya and 
German Tanganyika. Subsequently, 
the best grazing lands were gradually 
taken over for White settlement and 
the Maasai were pushed into a small 
area in South Kenya and North 
Tanzania.
 (ii) From the late 19th century, the 
British colonial government in East 
Africa encouraged local peasants to 
expand cultivation. As cultivation 
expanded, pasture lands were turned 
into cultivable fields.
 (iii) Large areas of grazing land were also 
turned into game reserves like the 
Maasai Mara and Samburu National 
Park in Kenya and Serengeti Park 
in Tanzania. Pastoralists were not 
allowed to enter these reserves. They 
could neither hunt animals nor graze 
their cattle herds in these areas. Very 
often these reserves were in areas 
that had traditionally been regular 
grazing grounds for Maasai herds. The 
Serengeti National Park, for instance, 
was created over 14,760 km of Maasai 
grazing land.
 Q4. There are many similarities in the 
way in which the modern world 
forced changes in the lives of pastoral 
communities in India and East Africa 
Write about any two examples of 
changes which were similar for Indian 
pastoralists and the Maasai herders.
 Ans. Both India and East Africa were under 
the control of the British imperialistic 
powers. Hence, both of them were 
exploited in the same pattern. We can 
give here two examples of changes 
which were similar for the pastoral 
communities of both the countries:
 (i) The pastoral communities of both 
the places gradually lost their grazing 
lands because the colonial government 
wanted to expand cultivation. In 
India, the uncultivated land was 
seen as wasteland that needed to 
be brought under cultivation. Hence, 
waste land rules were enacted in 
various parts of the country. By these 
rules uncultivated lands were taken 
over and given to select individuals. 
These individuals were encouraged to 
settle these lands. In most areas, the 
lands taken over were actually grazing 
tracts used regularly by pastoralists. 
Similarly in East Africa the grazing 
lands of the Maasai were gradually 
taken over by the British colonial 
government to expand cultivation. As 
cultivation expanded, Maasai pasture 
lands were turned into cultivable fields.
 (ii) Both Indian pastoralists and the 
Maasai herders were nomadic and 
viewed with suspicion by the British 
colonial government. They were not 
allowed to move out without a permit. 
They were forced to live within the 
confines of special reserves.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SOLVED
 I. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Nomadic tribes need to move from one 
place to another because of—
 (a)  seasonal changes 
 (b) their mobile nature
 (c) their poor background
 (d) all of the above
2. Dhangars are an important pastoral 
community of which state?
 (a) Himachal Pradesh 
 (b )  Maharashtra
 (c) Jammu and Kashmir 
 (d) Rajasthan 
3. The life of pastoralists greatly changed 
under colonial rule. What is/are this/
these change/changes?
 (a) Their grazing grounds shrank.
 (b) Their movements were regulated.
 (c) They had to pay increased revenue. 
 (d) All of the above
4. When was the Criminal Tribes Act 
passed?
 (a) In 1889 (b) In 1871
 (c) In 1878 (d) In 1870
5. Why did the colonial government 
introduce the Grazing Tax in the mid- 
19th century? 
 (a) To expand its revenue.
 (b) To ban cattle herder from entering 
grazing tracts.
 (c) Both (a) and (b).
 (d) None of the above
6. How many people in Africa are 
dependent on some form of pastoral 
activity for their livelihood?
 (a) Less than 22 million
 (b) Over 22 million
 (c) Over 12 million 
 (d) Less than 12 million
7. What percentage of the grazing lands 
did Maasai lose when European 
imperial powers divided Africa into 
different colonies? 
 (a) 50%  (b) 49%
 (c) 80%  (d) 60%
8. When did European imperial powers 
divide Africa into different colonies? 
 (a) In 1805 (b) In 1882
 (c) In 1885 (d) In 1815
9. Where is the Serengeti National Park 
located?
 (a) Kenya (b) Tanzania
 (c) Sudan (d) Zimbabwe
10. The word ‘Maasai’ is derived from the 
word ‘Maa’. ‘Maasai’ means—
 (a) My People 
 (b) Mother and People
 (c) Their People (d) Tribal People
11. Which of the following pastoral nomads 
is not found in the mountains?
 (a) Gaddi shepherds 
 (b) Raikas
 (c) Gujjar Bakarwals 
 (d) Bhotiyas
12. The settlement of Maru Raikas is known 
as—
 (a) Dhandi (b) Mandi
 (c) Mandap (d) Bugyal
13. Pushkar is a famous place in Rajasthan 
where ............... is held every year.
 (a) elephant fair (b) cattle fair
 (c) buffalo fair (d) camel fair
14. The Maasai cattle herders live primarily 
in—
 (a) East Africa (b) West Africa
 (c) South Africa (d) North Africa
15. The Maasai Mara is a National Park 
in—
 (a) Tanzania (b) Kenya
 (c) Sudan (d) South Africa
16. Wasteland Rules were enacted by the 
colonial officials in order to—
 (a) harass the pastoralists of India
 (b) uplift the condition of the Indian 
pastoralists
 (c) turn the uncultivated lands into 
cultivable lands
 (d) turn cultivable lands into forests
 Ans.  1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (d) 
 4. (b) 5. (c) 6. (b)
   7. (d) 8. (c) 9. (b) 
 10. (a) 11. (b) 12. (a)
   13. (d) 14. (a) 15. (b) 
 16. (c)
 II. Very Short Answer Type Questions
 Q1. Who are nomadic pastoralists?
 Ans. Nomadic pastoralists are people who 
do not live in one place but move 
with their herds of goats and sheep 
from one area to another to earn their 
living.
 Q2. Who are the Gujjar Bakarwals?
 Ans. The Gujjar Bakarwals belong to 
Jammu and Kashmir. They are great 
herders of goats and sheep.
 Q3.  What are Gujjar mandaps made of?
 Ans. Gujjar mandaps are made of ringal 
 — a hill bamboo  — and grass from the 
buggal — a vast meadow in the high 
mountains.
 Q4. What are bhabars?
 Ans. Bhabars are dry forested areas below 
the foothills of Garhwal and Kumaun.
 Q5. The life of pastoralists greatly change 
under the colonial rule. Mention two 
changes.
 Ans.  (i) Their grazing grounds shrank.
  (ii)  Their movements were regulated.
 Q6. What different activities were 
associated with Dhangars of 
Maharashtra?
 Ans. Most of them were shepherds, some 
were blanket weavers, and still others 
were buffalo herders.
 Q7. Where did the Kurumas and Kurub 
as live? What did they rear?
 Ans. The Kurumas and Kurubas lived 
in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. 
They reared sheep and goats and sold 
woven blankets.
 Q8. Name the pastoralists who lived in the 
plateaus of India.
 Ans. Dhangars, Gollas, Kurumas and 
Kurubas.
 Q9. Where were Banjaras to be found in 
India?
 Ans. Banjaras were to be found in the 
villages of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, 
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and 
Maharashtra.
 Q10. Where did the Raikas live?
 Ans. The Raikas lived in the deserts of 
Rajasthan.
 Q11. What did the different groups of 
Raikas rear?
 Ans. One group of Raikas, known as the 
Maru or desert Raikas, herded camels 
and another group reared sheep and 
goats.
 Q12. What was the settlement of Maru 
Raikas called?
 Ans. The settlement of Maru Raikas was 
called a dhandi.
 Q13. What are customary rights?
 Ans. Customary rights are those rights 
that people are used to by custom and 
tradition.
 Q14. How did the colonial officials view the 
uncultivated land?
 Ans. The colonial officials viewed all 
uncultivated land as unproductive, 
which produced neither revenue nor 
agricultural produce. It was seen as 
wasteland that needed to be brought 
under cultivation.
 Q15. What happened after the Wasteland 
Rules were enacted?
 Ans. The grazing lands of postoralists 
were taken over and given to the 
select individuals to turn them into 
cultivated fields.
 Q16. Which forests were declared ‘reserved’ 
under the various Forest Acts?
 Ans. The forests which produced 
commercially valuable timber like 
deodar or sal were declared ‘reserved’ 
forests.
 Q17. Which Act did the colonial government 
in India pass in 1871? What was its 
main provision?
 Ans. In 1871, the colonial government in 
India passed the Criminal Tribes Act.                          
By this Act, many communities of 
craftsmen, traders and pastoralists 
were classified as Criminal Tribes and 
were ordered to live only in notified 
village settlements.
 Q18. Why did the colonial government 
introduce the Grazing Tax in the mid-
19th century? Give two reasons.
 Ans.  (i) To expand its revenue.
  (ii) To ban cattle-herders from entering 
grazing tracts.
 Q19. Name the pastoral communities who 
live in Africa.
 Ans. Bedouins, Berbers, Maasai, Somali, 
Boran and Turkana.
 Q20. Where do the Maasai cattle herders 
live?
 Ans. They live primarily in East Africa  — in 
Southern Kenya and Tanzania.
 Q21. How many people in Africa are 
dependent on some form of pastoral 
activity for their livelihood?
 Ans. Over 22 million Africans depend on 
some form of pastoral activity for their 
livelihood.
 Q22. What per cent of their grazing land did 
Maasai lose when European imperial 
powers divided Africa into different 
colonies?
 Ans. They lost about 60 per cent of their 
grazing lands.
 Q23. What was the status of the Maasai 
pastoralists in pre-colonial times?
 Ans. They had dominated their agricultural 
neighbours both economically and 
politically.