Class 9 History Chapter 5 Question Answers - Pastoralists in the modern world

Q.1. Discuss the main characteristic features of pastoralism.
 Ans: Pastoralism is a way of life where people raise animals like sheep, goats, and cows, and move from place to place to find fresh grass and water for their animals. Here are the key points:

• Nomadic Lifestyle: Pastoralists don't stay in one place. They travel regularly to find good pasture and avoid bad weather. This movement helps them keep their animals healthy and well-fed.
• Diverse Activities: Some pastoralists also engage in farming, trading, and other activities besides taking care of animals to make a living.
• Environmental Benefits: Moving around helps the land recover. It gives plants time to grow back and prevents overgrazing in any one area.
• Adaptation to Regions: Pastoralism is well-suited to hilly and dry areas where farming might be difficult. The movement allows them to make use of different resources in different places.
• Role as Traders: Pastoralists often act as traders. They travel long distances, bringing goods like cattle to villages and trading them for grain, fodder, and other supplies.

 Q.2. Discuss the factors on which the life of pastoralists depend.
 Ans. Pastoralists live in various terrains such as villages, plateaus, deserts, or forest fringes. They sustain their life by:

• Knowing How Long to Stay: They have a good sense of when to stay and when to move to new areas.
• Finding Food and Water: They are adept at locating food and water sources for their herds.
• Timing of Movements: They know when to move based on seasons and weather changes.
• Relationships with Farmers: They build relationships with farmers, exchanging goods and services like milk, ghee, animal skins, and wool for grains and other necessities.

Q.3. Elaborate on the seasonal movement of Dhangars of Maharashtra.
 Ans. The Dhangars of Maharashtra move according to the seasons:

• Monsoon Season: They stay in the central plateau, using it for grazing and growing crops like bajra.
• Post-Monsoon: By October, they harvest and move to the fertile Konkan region where they are welcomed by local farmers. Their flocks help fertilize the fields, and they feed on the stubble left after harvest.
• Pre-Monsoon: They stay in Konkan until the onset of the monsoon, after which they return to the plateau with rice given by the Konkan farmers.

Q.4. Describe the various facets of pastoralism in Africa.
 Ans. African pastoralism involves communities like the Bedouins, Berbers, Maasai, and others:

• They raise cattle, camels, goats, and sheep, selling milk, meat, skins, and wool.
• Some combine pastoral activities with farming or engage in trade and transport to supplement their income.
• The colonial and post-colonial periods saw significant changes, such as reduced pasture lands and restrictions on movement due to new laws.

Q.5. Compare and contrast the life of wealthy pastoralists with that of poor pastoralists in Africa.
 Ans. 

•  Wealthy Pastoralists: They often accumulated wealth, bought more animals and land, and had diversified incomes. They could afford to live in towns and engage in trade, while their families took care of animals in villages. They survived wars and droughts better.
• Poor Pastoralists: Their lives depended solely on livestock. Without resources to cope with bad times, they lost everything during wars and famines. They often had to find work in towns or take up menial jobs like charcoal burning.

Q.6. Comment on the closure of the forests to grazing from the standpoint of 

(a) a forester
 (b) a pastoralist.

Ans. 

(a) A forester

Foresters believed that restricting access to forests was necessary to prevent over-exploitation and preserve valuable timber for purposes like building ships and railways. They thought pastoralists should be barred from using forests to maintain ecological balance and ensure a steady supply of commercial timber.

(b) A pastoralist

Pastoralists felt the closure of forests deprived them of essential resources like fuel, fodder, fruits, and medicinal herbs. The restrictions on grazing and access to forest products severely affected their traditional way of life and forced them to seek alternative means of livelihood.

Q.7. Give two examples to illustrate how the pastoral nomads adjust to seasonal changes and make effective use of available pastures in different places.
 Ans.

(i) Gaddi Shepherds of Himachal Pradesh: They move from low hills to higher altitudes with the change of seasons, grazing in scrub forests during winter and moving to mountain meadows in summer. They time their movements to coincide with crop cycles, ensuring they always have pastures to graze their livestock.

(ii) Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir: They spend winters in the low Sivalik hills and migrate to Kashmir’s lush valleys in summer. Their movement is driven by the availability of pasture and the need to avoid harsh weather conditions.

 Q.8. Discuss the lifestyle of the following pastoralists

(a) The Gollas of Andhra Pradesh
 (b) Banjaras of Punjab
 (c) Raikas of Rajasthan.

Ans.

(a) Gollas : The Gollas herd cattle. Their movement to different areas is because of the monsoon and dry season. They move to the coastal tracts during the dry period and leave when it starts raining there. Their cattle cannot tolerate the swampy and wet conditions of the coastal areas. They shift to the dry plateau area during this time. The Gollas live near the woods, cultivate small patches of land and look after their cattle. They are also engaged in trade.

(b) Banjaras : The Banjaras are nomadic. They move in search of new pasture land. They travel long distances selling cattle and other utilities to villagers they come in contact with. In exchange they take grain and cattle feed.

(c) Raikas : The Raikas are from Rajasthan. Rajasthan is a land of scanty rainfall. Because of this reason harvest is not steady. Large tracts of land does not support crops. Hence, this group combines pastoralism with agriculture. In the monsoon months they find enough pasture in their own homes for their herds. But as October approach they move on in search of water and pasture. They return back only during the next monsoon.

 Q.9. What effect did the colonial rule have on the pastoralists? How did this happen?

Ans. Colonial rule drastically altered the lives of pastoralists:

• Land Control: The British expanded cultivation, reducing pastures through Wasteland Rules, which converted uncultivated land into agricultural land.
• Forest Restrictions: Forest Acts restricted access to forests, limiting the areas pastoralists could use for grazing.
• Settlement and Control: The Criminal Tribes Act categorized pastoralists as criminals, restricting their movements and requiring them to live in designated areas.
• Taxation: The colonial government imposed various taxes on pastoralists, including grazing taxes, which increased their financial burden and reduced their income.

Q.10. Why did the colonial government pass the law Criminal Tribes Act and imposition of Grazing Tax?
 Ans. The British distrusted nomadic people and wanted to control a settled population for easier governance. They passed the Criminal Tribes Act in 1871 to classify certain communities as criminal, forcing them to live in fixed areas. The grazing tax was imposed to increase revenue from pastoralists by taxing each animal they grazed, providing a steady income for the colonial government.

Q.11. Give any four reasons to explain why Maasai community lost their grazing land? [2011 (T-2)]
 Ans. 

• Colonial Boundaries: In 1885, Maasailand was divided between British Kenya and German Tanganyika, reducing their grazing area.
• White Settlements: The best grazing lands were taken over for white settlements, pushing the Maasai into smaller, less fertile areas.
• Expansion of Cultivation: The British encouraged local communities to expand cultivation, converting pasture lands into agricultural fields.
• Game Reserves: Large areas of Maasai grazing lands were turned into game reserves like Maasai Mara and Serengeti National Park, further reducing their grazing territory.

Q.12. Explain any four factors responsible for the annual movement of the Dhangars. 
Ans. 

• Monsoon Grazing: During the monsoon, the central plateau of Maharashtra becomes a rich grazing ground for the Dhangar flocks.
• Harvesting Bajra: In October, after harvesting bajra, they move to the Konkan region.
• Fertilizing Fields: In Konkan, their flocks help fertilize the fields post-harvest, and they receive rice in return.
• Avoiding Wet Conditions: They return to the dry plateau before the onset of the monsoon, as their sheep cannot tolerate the wet conditions in Konkan.

Q.13. Explain any four laws which were introduced by the colonial government in India which changed the lives of pastoralists.
 Ans. 

• Wasteland Rules: Enacted from the mid-19th century, these rules took over uncultivated lands, reducing pastures for pastoralists.
• Forest Acts: Mid-19th century laws classified forests into 'reserved' and 'protected,' restricting pastoralists' access to forests and grazing lands.
• Criminal Tribes Act: Passed in 1871, this law labeled many pastoral communities as criminal, limiting their movements and requiring them to live in specified areas.
• Grazing Tax: The colonial government imposed taxes on each animal grazed by pastoralists, significantly increasing their financial burden