Prepared by Nehasree of Grade 9, Akara world schools. Tiruchirappalli

1. Prepared by.
Neha sree C.V.D - grade – 9
Akara world schools, Tiruchirappalli

2. Nomads are people
who do not live in
one place but move
from one place to
another for their
living.

3. Pastoral nomadism is a form of subsistence
agriculture based on the herding of
domesticated animals.
It is adapted to dry climates, where planting
crops is extremely difficult.

5.  In this chapter we are
going to study mainly
four divisions:
 The Gujar Bakarwals,
 The Gaddi Shepherds
 Movement in Garhwal
and Kumaon,
 Other Pastoral nomads.

6. Gujar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir herd
goat and sheep till date .Migrated into J&K in
search of pasture and eventually expanded
there.
They alternate between their winter ground
(low hills of Shivalik) and go to their summer
grazing grounds (Valley of Kashmir)by the end
of April.

7. They make the
latter journey as a
group of several
households called
khalifa.

8. Similarly the Gaddi shepherd in Himanchal
Pradesh also graze their herd in Shivalik in
winters while they go to Lahul and Spiti in
summer where they reap their summer
harvest and sow winter crops.

9. When the snow melted and the high passes
were clear, many of them moved on to
higher mountain meadows.
By September they began their return
movement.
On the way, they stop at the villages of
Lahul and Spiti, reaping their summer
harvest.

10. Then they
descended with
their flock to their
winter grazing
ground on the
Siwalik hills.

11. In Garhwal and Kumaon, the Gujjar cattle
herders come down to the dry forests of
Bhabar in winters, and go higher meadow
"bugyals" in summer. Most of them
originally from J&K reached hills in UP in
search of pasture.

12. The cyclic
movement of
winter and
summer pastures
was typical of most
Himalayan
communities.


13. Allowed them to
adjust to seasonal
change.
Continuous
movement allowed
pastures to recover.

15. Not all pastoralists operated in the mountains.
They were also to be found in the plateaus,
plains and deserts of India.
There are 3 groups of people. They are:
The Dhangars,
The Gollas, Kurumas and Kurubas,
The Raikas.

16. Dhangars was a large
community in
Maharashtra. Most of
them herded sheep
though some wove
blankets, raised
buffaloes etc.

17. Mainly stayed in the central plateau of
Maharashtra in monsoon (semi-arid region)
. In monsoon it became a vast grazing
ground for their herd.
By October, harvest their bajra and move
west.

18. Reach Konkan after a month (high rainfall ,
rich soil).
Konkani peasants welcomed the Dhangars as
after the kharif harvest, the field was to be.
Fertilized and prepared for rabi crops.
Dhangar flocks manured and ate the stubble.

19. Peasants also gave them rice which was rare
in their plateau.
Returned to their plateau with onset of
monsoon as sheep cannot tolerate the wet
conditions.

20. Gollas:
In Karnataka and
Andhra Pradesh:
Gollas herded
cattle.

21. Kurumas and
Kurubas reared
sheep and goat and
sold woven
blankets.

22. In plateaus the
cyclic movements
were defined by the
monsoon and the
dry season.

23. In dry season they moved to coastal tracts
and return when the rains came as most of
the animals except buffaloes couldn't
tolerate the wet swampy conditions.

24. Banjaras were found in Rajasthan, Punjab,
Uttar Pradhesh, Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra.
Moved great distances for good pasture land.
Sold plough cattle etc in exchange of grain and
fodder.

25. Raikas lived in the
deserts of Rajasthan.
During monsoon,
Raikas stayed in
their home villages
where pasture was
available.

26. After exhausting the land by October,
moved out in search of pasture and water.
They returned next monsoon.
Maru i.e. desert Raikas herded camels while
another reared sheep and goat.