Pastoralists in the Modern World

This history chapter studies the lives of pastoral nomads, people who move with their herds in search of pasture. You will learn about pastoral groups of India: the Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir, who travel in groups called kafila; the Gaddi shepherds of Himachal Pradesh; the Dhangars of Maharashtra; the Gollas, Kurumas and Kurubas of the Deccan; the Raikas of Rajasthan; and the Banjaras. You will see how their seasonal movements between summer and winter pastures, such as the bugyals of the high mountains, helped preserve the land. You will study how colonial rule changed their lives: the Waste Land Rules took grazing land for cultivation, the Forest Acts closed many forests, the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 labelled some groups criminal, and a grazing tax was imposed. You will then look at the Maasai of East Africa, who lost about 60 percent of their land after 1885, when British Kenya and German Tanganyika divided Maasailand, and were confined to reserves. The chapter shows how pastoralists adapted to these changes.

Detailed Worksheet: Pastoralists in the Modern World Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. Who are pastoral nomads? Give two examples from India. (2 marks) 2. What is a bugyal? What is a kafila? (2 marks) 3. What were the Waste Land Rules? (2 marks) 4. What was the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871? (2 marks) 5. Who are the Maasai? Where do they live? (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. The Dhangars of Maharashtra had an estimated population of 467,000 in the early twentieth century. If 60% of them were shepherds, how many shepherds were there, correct to the nearest hundred? (3 marks) 7. The Maasai lost about 60% of their pre-colonial lands. If they originally used 50,000 sq km of grazing land, how much did they lose and how much remained? (3 marks) 8. A Gaddi shepherd has a flock of 400 sheep. The grazing tax is 1 anna per animal. How many rupees does he pay if 16 annas make a rupee? If the tax rose to 2 annas per animal, how much more would he pay? (3 marks) 9. During the drought of 1933 to 1934, over half the cattle in the Maasai Reserve died. If a reserve had 7,20,000 cattle, about how many died if exactly 55% perished? (3 marks) 10. Make a seasonal chart for the Gujjar Bakarwals showing where they stayed in summer and in winter, the reasons for moving, and the months of movement. (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. On an outline map of India, mark the areas of the Gujjar Bakarwals, Gaddis, Dhangars and Raikas. (4 marks) 12. On an outline map of Africa, mark Kenya, Tanzania and the Maasai region, and show the Serengeti National Park. (3 marks) 13. Draw a flowchart showing how colonial laws affected pastoralists in India. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. Explain how the pastoral nomads of the hills, plateaus and deserts of India moved with the seasons. How did their movements help the environment? (5 marks) 15. Explain how colonial rule affected pastoralists in India. How did they cope with the changes? (5 marks) 16. Describe how the Maasai lost their grazing lands under colonial rule. How did these changes affect Maasai society, including elders and warriors, and the rich and poor? (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Use names of communities and regions correctly and show all calculations.