Question

Write briefly about the pastoral nomads found in different parts of India.

Answer 1

The pastoral nomads were found in different parts of India such as in the mountains, on plateaus, plains and deserts.
In the mountains:
$\bullet$ The Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir were great herders of goat and sheep. They moved annually between their summer and winter grazing grounds. In summer, the Gujjar herders went up to the high meadows - the bugyals, and in winter they came down to the dry forests of the Bhabar.
$\bullet$ The Gaddi shepherds of Himachal Pradesh had a similar cycle of seasonal movement. They too spent their winter in the low hills of Siwalik range, grazing their flock in scrub forests. By April, they moved north and spent the summer in Lahul and Spiti.
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 Plateaus:
$\bullet$ Dhangars were an important pastoral community of Maharashtra. Most of them were shepherds, blanket weavers, and other are buffalo herders. They grew kharif and rabi crops like bajra, rice.
$\bullet$ The Gollas, Kurumas and Kurubas were pastoral communities that lived in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The Gollas herded cattle. The Kurumas and Kurubas reared sheep and goats and sold woven blankets. They cultivated small patches of land and got engaged in a variety of petty trades also.
On the plains:
$\bullet$ Banjaras were yet another well-known group of graziers. They were to be found in the villages of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. They moved over long distances in search of good pastureland for their cattle. Practice of selling plough cattle and other goods to villagers in exchange for grain and fodded was common among them.
In Deserts:
$\bullet$ Raikas lived in the deserts of Rajasthan. They received meagre and uncertain rainfall in this region. During the monsoons, the Riakas of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner stayed in their home villages and by October when these grazing grounds were dry and exhausted they moved out in search of other pasture and water, and returned again during the next monsoon. One group of Raikas - known as the Maru (desert) Raikas - herded cattle and the other group reared sheep and goat.