Question

How did the Indian pastoralists cope with the changes that was brought about by the British colonial officials?

Answer 1

Under the colonial rule, the life of the indian pastoralists change dramatically. Their grazing grounds shrank, their movements were regulated and the revenue they had to pay increased. However, they coped with these changes bravely and patiently.
(i) Some pastroalists reduced the number of cattle in their herds, since there was not enough pasture to feed large numbers.
(ii) Others discovered new pastures when movement to old grazing grounds became difficult. For instance, the new political boundaries between India and Pakistan after $1947$ stopped the movement of the Raikas. So, they had to find new places to go. In recent years, they have been migrating to Haryana where sheep can graze on agricultural fields after the harvests are cut.
(iii) Some pastoralists, who were rich, gave up their nomadic life. They bought land and settled down.
(iv) Some became settled peasants cultivating land. Others took to more extensive trading.
(v) Many poor pastoralists borrowed money from moneylenders to survive. At times they lost their cattle and sheep and became labourers, working on fields or in small towns.