What is the difference between Indian and African pastoralists - Social Science - Pastoralists in the Modern World

Question

What is the difference between Indian and African
pastoralists?

Akilandeswari · Accepted Answer

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDIAN AND
AFRICAN PASTORALISTS

S No
,
INDIAN
PASTORALISTS
AFRICAN
PASTORALISTS

1
Indian pastoralists
reared animals like goat, sheep in Himalayan and Kashmir mountain
ranges
Most of the pastoralists
in Africa lived in the semi-arid grasslands or arid
deserts

2
During summer, they move
to snow melted mountain sides where there were fresh grasses and
nutritious forage, available for the animal herds Also in winter,
the herds were grazed in the low hills
Before colonial times,
their herds were grazed over a vast area from North Kenya to the
steppes of Northern Tanzania

3
Pastoralists were also
found in plateaus, plains and deserts of India where most of them
were shepherds; some were blanket weavers and were buffalo
herders
One of the communities
called Maasai raise cattle, camels, goats, sheep and donkeys; and
they sell milk, meat, animal skin and wool

4
In plateaus and plains,
when the grazing grounds were dry and exhausted, they moved out to
other directions in search of pasture and water for their
cattle
Some people earn through
trade and transport; others combine pastoral activity with
agriculture and some do odd jobs Pastoral is not their only
activity

5
The colonial state, in
the nineteenth century, wanted to transform all grazing lands into
cultivated farms; so that they could earn revenue and could produce
more of jute, cotton, wheat that were required in
England
In the late nineteenth
century, European Imperial powers split the region of Maasailand
into different colonies Subsequently, the best grazing land was
gradually taken over for white settlement and the Maasai were
pushed into a small area in south Kenya and north
Tanzania

6
Various waste land
rules, forest acts were enacted and hence the pastoralists were not
allowed to access the forests Severe restrictions were imposed
though, for some customary grazing rights
From the late nineteenth
century, the British colonial government in East Africa encouraged
local peasants to expand cultivation Thus the pasturelands started
disappearing slowly

7
British officials
distrusted the mobile craftsmen, traders and nomads who often
changed their residence and then passed the Criminal Tribes Act,
1871 They were stated to be criminal by nature and not allowed to
move out without a permit
In addition to that,
large areas of grazing land were also turned into national parks
and reserves As a result, fodder was always in short supply Feeding
the cattle became a persistent problem

8
The colonial government,
to expand its revenue imposed tax on land, canal water, salt and
even on number of animals that grazed on the
pasture
Here also, the colonial
government imposed restrictions on mobility and trespassers were
punished severely The new territorial boundary restrictions
adversely affected both their pastoral and trading
activities

9
This resulted in
tremendous shortage of pastures Since pastoral movement was
restricted severely, there was no time for the natural restoration
of vegetation growth Hence cattle died in large
numbers
A large number of Maasai
cattle died of starvation and disease in the years of
drought

10
At last, pastoralists
reduced the number of cattle in their herds Some rich pastoralists
began buying land and settling down, giving up their nomadic life
Poor pastoralists borrowed money to survive and others became
labourers, working on fields and small towns
Maasai society was
divided into two categories called elders and warriors But the
chiefs appointed by the colonial government often accumulated
wealth over time and thus the traditional authority of both the
elders and warriors was adversely affected

11

The social changes in
Maasai society occurred at two levels

The traditional
difference based on age, between the elders and warriors was
disturbed

A new distinction
between the wealthy and poor pastoralists
developed

S.No.,	INDIAN PASTORALISTS	AFRICAN PASTORALISTS
1	Indian pastoralists reared animals like goat, sheep in Himalayan and Kashmir mountain ranges.	Most of the pastoralists in Africa lived in the semi-arid grasslands or arid deserts.
2	During summer, they move to snow melted mountain sides where there were fresh grasses and nutritious forage, available for the animal herds. Also in winter, the herds were grazed in the low hills.	Before colonial times, their herds were grazed over a vast area from North Kenya to the steppes of Northern Tanzania.
3	Pastoralists were also found in plateaus, plains and deserts of India where most of them were shepherds; some were blanket weavers and were buffalo herders.	One of the communities called Maasai raise cattle, camels, goats, sheep and donkeys; and they sell milk, meat, animal skin and wool.
4	In plateaus and plains, when the grazing grounds were dry and exhausted, they moved out to other directions in search of pasture and water for their cattle.	Some people earn through trade and transport; others combine pastoral activity with agriculture and some do odd jobs. Pastoral is not their only activity.
5	The colonial state, in the nineteenth century, wanted to transform all grazing lands into cultivated farms; so that they could earn revenue and could produce more of jute, cotton, wheat that were required in England.	In the late nineteenth century, European Imperial powers split the region of Maasailand into different colonies. Subsequently, the best grazing land was gradually taken over for white settlement and the Maasai were pushed into a small area in south Kenya and north Tanzania.
6	Various waste land rules, forest acts were enacted and hence the pastoralists were not allowed to access the forests. Severe restrictions were imposed though, for some customary grazing rights.	From the late nineteenth century, the British colonial government in East Africa encouraged local peasants to expand cultivation. Thus the pasturelands started disappearing slowly.
7	British officials distrusted the mobile craftsmen, traders and nomads who often changed their residence and then passed the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871. They were stated to be criminal by nature and not allowed to move out without a permit.	In addition to that, large areas of grazing land were also turned into national parks and reserves. As a result, fodder was always in short supply. Feeding the cattle became a persistent problem.
8	The colonial government, to expand its revenue imposed tax on land, canal water, salt and even on number of animals that grazed on the pasture.	Here also, the colonial government imposed restrictions on mobility and trespassers were punished severely. The new territorial boundary restrictions adversely affected both their pastoral and trading activities.
9	This resulted in tremendous shortage of pastures. Since pastoral movement was restricted severely, there was no time for the natural restoration of vegetation growth. Hence cattle died in large numbers.	A large number of Maasai cattle died of starvation and disease in the years of drought.
10	At last, pastoralists reduced the number of cattle in their herds. Some rich pastoralists began buying land and settling down, giving up their nomadic life. Poor pastoralists borrowed money to survive and others became labourers, working on fields and small towns.	Maasai society was divided into two categories called elders and warriors. But the chiefs appointed by the colonial government often accumulated wealth over time and thus the traditional authority of both the elders and warriors was adversely affected.
11		The social changes in Maasai society occurred at two levels. The traditional difference based on age, between the elders and warriors was disturbed. A new distinction between the wealthy and poor pastoralists developed.

What is the difference between Indian and African pastoralists?